Recurrent tears following successful retinal detachment surgery.

: In 17 cases of recurrent retinal tears occurring after successful retinal detachment surgery, the new tears developed on or near the treated primary tear in seven cases and away from the treated tear in ten cases. It took an average of 25.6 months for the second tears to develop, and almost all of the recurrent tears were the same distance from the limbus as the primary tear. The benefit of the 360 degree encircling band and the relationship of the thermal injury to production of a second tear is discussed.