Which procedure is used to seal retinal tears with cryotherapy?

• A. Cryopexy
• B. Laser photocoagulation
• C. Vitrectomy
• D. Scleral buckling

Answer: (A)

Sealing retinal tears with cryotherapy works by freezing the tissue around the tear to create a chorioretinal adhesion. The freezing prompts an inflammatory scar that bonds the retina to the underlying layers, helping prevent detachment. This specific freezing technique is cryopexy, which is designed to achieve adhesion through cold therapy rather than heat. Laser photocoagulation, in contrast, uses heat from a laser to induce adhesion. Vitrectomy involves removing the vitreous gel and doesn’t by itself seal tears with freezing. Scleral buckling provides external support to the retina and may be used in detachment repair, but the method that seals tears via cryotherapy is cryopexy.