Experimental Studies of the Choroidal Vessels: VI. Observations on the Effects of Physical Agents (Scleral Folding and Diathermy)

In the present study, the actions of physical agents on the choroid will be considered as participating in surgical procedures.*

The basic principle of the cure of retinal detachment involves the closure of the retinal breaks. The rational basis for this therapy was established by Gonin's^2-21 concept of direct correlation between retinal holes and retinal separation.

One of the additional requirements for a successful procedure involves the approximation of the detached retina to the pigment layer and to its matrix, the choroid.²² This can be accomplished by a reduction in volume of the scleral coat through either thermal shrinkage or mechanical shortening.

A. Heat shrinkage of the sclera. Heat has been noted to reduce the volume of the scleral coat.²³ Berens and Pischell²⁴ and others observed clinically the shrinking of the sclera induced by electrocoagulation during surgery for retinal detachment. Scheie and Jerome²⁵ demonstrated experimentally