Abstract: Objective To determine the effectiveness of total vitrectomy in the management of giant retinal tears(GRTs). Design Retrospective case series. Participants Seventeen eyes of 17 consecutive patients with GRTs were enrolled at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center from Jul. 2003 to Jan. 2008. Methods All patients were performed total vitrectomy, peeling off the adhesion cortical vitreous, perfluorocarbon liquid, partial retinectomy, endophotocoagulation, gas-liquid exchange and silicone oil tamponade. Nine eyes with ciliary epithelium detachment underwent resection of the detached ciliary epithelium. Scleral circling was placed in one eye with serious PVR. Pars plana lensectomy was performed in one eye with complicated cataract. The following-up times were 24.5±8.5 months. Main Outcome Measures The postoperative visual acuity, retinal attachment and complications. Results Retinal redetachment occurred in two patients. One with the occurrence of a new tear, the other one with serious postoperative PVR leading to tractional retinal detachment. The silicone oil was uneventfully removed in 15 patients between 2 and 18 monthes. One case was loss to follow-up. The final best-correcting visual acuity was light perception to counting fingers in 2 eyes, 0.02～0.3 in 5 eyes, 0.5～0.7 in 6 eyes, ≥1.0 in 3 eyes, The postoperative visual acuity was better than preoperation（χ2=17.01，P＜0.05）. Conclusion There is a favorable effect on the retinal detachment associated with GRTs of total vitrectomy, partial retinectomy, endophotocoagulation and tamponade of silicone oil during 2- year following-up.

Key words: giant retinal tear, retinal detachment, vitrectomy, retinectomy, silicone oil tamponade