Abstract

DO.15.03

History of Surgical Procedures for Retinal Detachment

Dieter Schmidt
Universitäts-Augenklinik Freiburg

Objective: The pathogenesis of retinal detachment was not understood prior to 1920.
Methods: A review of the literature covering earlier concepts and data on retinal detachment.
Results: During the 19th century, the development of therapeutic procedures was hampered by various beliefs concerning the pathogenesis of retinal detachment. It was Jules Gonin’s discovery of the importance of retinal detachment that led to the first effective surgical procedures on the retina. Initial successes were associated with “Gonin’s ignipuncture”, diathermic intervention according to Weve, Guists’s cauterization with potassium, superficial electrolysis by Aurel von Szily and Helmut Machemer, and sclera buckling procedures by Jess, Custodis and Schepens. Vitrectomy represented a key improvement in surgical approaches as well.
Conclusions: A lot of experience with various surgical procedures has been accumulated over the decades, yet complicated retinal detachments can still challenge and frustrate us today in spite of many recent technical innovations.

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