What is a Scleral buckle?
Scleral buckles are permanent components usually made of silicone rubber or silicone sponge material which are sutured to the outside surface of the back half of the eye in order to create a permanent indentation. Sometimes the components are shaped like an arc and are placed ¼ to ¾ of the way around the eye. In other situations the buckle is placed all the way around the eye (encircling buckle). The indentation acts inside of the eye much as a gasket is used to seal a radiator or the cylinder head of an automobile engine. In other words, the retinal pigment epithelium, choroid, and sclera, which are the three layers of tissue under the retina, are pushed inward against the retina. The buckling effect is placed adjacent to the retinal breaks, holes and tears to help seal or support them. A secondary purpose of scleral buckles is to reduce pulling on the retina due to contraction of the collagen fibers in the vitreous humor. This works by pushing the retina inward.
