AIM: To conclude the clinical situation of the key techniques used in the external-route microsurgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

METHODS: A total of 152 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who underwent drainage of sub-retinal fluids, cryotherapy, localization of the retinal break, silicone scleral buckling by surgical microscope.

RESULTS: Retinal reattachment were achieved in 89.5% of patients after the primary surgery and the final reattachment rate was 96.7%, and 89.8% of the eyes achieved the corrected visual acuity high above 0.05, 35.2% above 0.3 at 1mo postoperatively. In 83.6% of eyes had a succeed drainage of sub-retinal fluids by the first acupuncture, and 13.1% of eyes achieved it by the second try after silicone buckling and circling; in 82.9% of cases, the retinal tear localization directly under microscope was accurate, in 90.0% of eyes were achieved it after check and adjustment by the end of operation; in 6.6% of cases,the scleral buckling had to be adjusted to more correct position in the first operation, and 10.6% of eyes had to be adjusted in the next operation; in 95.4% of eyes, the posterior edge of silicone buckling were within 20mm behind corneal limbus, 4.6% of eyes were behind 20mm.

CONCLUSION: The external-route microsurgery can bring us expected clinical results for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Its key microsurgical techniques are applied in convenient, reliable, and can be adjusted timely when some deviations occurred. The observable retina under microscope range from ora serrata to 20mm behind corneal limbus, and even to 20-24mm in some high myopia eye with large axial length.