ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a balloon-tipped catheter to treat retinal detachments. The inflated balloon creates a buckle effect that is perceived ophthalmoscopically. Initially upon insertion and expansion, the balloon is compressed between the eye and the bony orbit, raising the intraocular pressure and producing a shallow buckle. The balloon is deflated by half its volume on the day before its removal to test the adhesion. The balloon catheter is a versatile instrument for the repair of retinal detachment. The attachment rate is comparable to that obtained with conventional buckling, but there are fewer complications. The balloon buckle is suitable for retinal detachments caused by a single break or a group of breaks that subtend less than 1 clock-hour or 6 mm at the equator. Aphakic and pseudophakic detachments respond to the balloon procedure. In a report contrasting the balloon procedure with encirclement, 79 of 100 aphakic eyes were completely attached with a balloon procedure.
