AIM: To investigate subfoveal subretinal fluid thickness(SFT)and subfoveal choroidal thickness(CT)after scleral buckling surgery(SBS)for macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD).

METHODS: Retrospective observational case series. Twenty-three patients with macula-off RRD underwent successful SBS combined with cryotherapy. Patients with recurrent retinal detachment and proliferative preretinal membranes were excluded. Optical coherence tomography(OCT)was used to measure subfoveal SFT and subfoveal CT. The OCT images were then evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively at 1wk, 1, 3, 6, and 12mo. Best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)was measured preoperatively and postoperatively.

RESULTS: All of the patients had subretinal fluid 1wk after operation. Subfoveal SFT gradually reduced over time. The subfoveal CT was thicker 1wk postoperatively and gradually decreased subsequently. The BCVA(mean±SD, LogMAR)was 0.60±0.35, which was a statistically significant change from the preoperative BCVA(t=6.35, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION: The subretinal fluid was gradually absorbed with time, and the subfoveal CT gradually decreased after the early thickening. The SBS rapidly improved the visual acuity of the patients after the early postoperative period.