TITLE:
Primary Outpatient Pneumatic Retinopexy for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Albania
AUTHORS:
Ali Tonuzi, Orjeta Tonuzi, Migena Beqiri, Luan Qafmolla
KEYWORDS:
Surgical Intervention, Pneumatic Retinopexy, Retinal Surgery, Retinal Detachment, Rhegmatogenous Detachment
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ophthalmology,
Vol.16 No.3,
June
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: A scleral buckle is one of several ophthalmologic procedures available for repairing retinal detachment. Pneumatic Retinopexy (PR) represents a safe and effective primary outpatient treatment for selected cases of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment (RRD), which are typically caused by retinal tears. Scleral buckle can be used to close the retinal break in both acute and chronic retinal detachments. This report presents the first clinical experience for “Albanian Eye Center” evaluating the anatomical and functional outcomes of pneumatic retinopexy as a primary treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. In this retrospective study, 25 eyes from 25 patients with RRD were treated with primary outpatient pneumatic retinopexy, without initial pars plana vitrectomy. In all cases, perfluoropropane (C3F8) gas was used as the intraocular tamponade. Demographic data, retinal break characteristics, macular status, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, complications, and anatomical success were analyzed. Visual acuity recorded as hand motion (HM) was converted to a decimal value of 0.001 for statistical analysis. Encouraging results were observed: primary anatomical success was achieved in 18 of 25 eyes (72%). Visual acuity improved in most eyes with primary anatomical success, particularly in macula-on cases. All eyes with primary failure (28%) underwent secondary surgical intervention, resulting in final retinal reattachment in all cases. No severe vision-threatening complications were observed. These outcomes are comparable to those reported by international ophthalmologic research studies and support the broader implementation of this technique in appropriately selected patients.