A simple mathematical model of retinal reattachment after scleral buckling

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a dangerous pathological condition that can lead to blindness and requires surgical treatment. Scleral buckling is a surgical technique that has been in use for many years to repair RRD. It consists in the application of a piece of silicone on the outer surface of the sclera, that pushes the eye wall inwards and modifies its curvature in correspondence of the retinal tear. It is observed that this facilitates retinal reattachment. Various authors speculated that basic principles of fluid mechanics can be invoked to explain the reattachment process, though a convincing explanation of the mechanics underlying the process is still elusive.