AIM:To discuss the therapeutic effect and surgical indication with scleral buckling for long-standing retinal detachment. ·METHODS:The major surgery was as follows:retinal breaks locating,cryotherapy,scleral buckling or encircl-ing scleral buckling. Thirty-eight patients 38 eyes with long-standing retinal detachment accepted surgery,including thirty-six eyes in scleral buckling among which nineteen eyes encircling scleral buckling and silicone encircling,and two eyes underwent encircling scleral buckling merely. Among these cases twenty-six eyes underwent subretinal fluid drainage and seven eyes combined with 532 nm laser photocoagulation. ·RESULTS:The rate of retinal reattachment after one surgical procedure was 87% and after two procedures was 92%. And there were no serious complications occurred in operation and postoperation. ·CONCLUSION:Scleral encircling and buckling proce-dures can be used effectively to treat selected cases of long-standing retinal detachment,and the choice of operation should be individualized for each patient.