Management of giant retinal tears without scleral buckling.

Giant retinal tears have been repaired in six consecutive patients without the use of a scleral buckle. By using preoperative laser photocoagulation, pars plana vitrectomy with light choroidal cryopexy, pure C3F8 gas injection followed by postoperative positioning and supplemental laser, excellent anatomic and visual results have been achieved. The risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy may be minimized using this technique.