Giant retinal hole and retinal detachment following exercise band injury: a case report

Elastic resistance bands have been widely adopted in exercise programs for all age-groups. However, increased use of these resistance bands has been associated with a rise in blunt facial and ocular injuries, of which severe ones may require surgical intervention. We describe a patient who developed an unusual and striking giant retinal hole and macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after trauma caused by an exercise band. A 15-year-old male with high myopia presented 2 weeks after being struck in the left eye by an exercise resistance band. Examination revealed a large 12 mm x 15 mm retinal hole with rolled edges in the temporal periphery and a macula-involving retinal detachment with early proliferative vitreoretinopathy in the left eye. Following 3 vitreoretinal surgeries, retina reattachment was accomplished. At last follow-up at postoperative year 1 from the 3rd surgery, best-corrected visual acuity was 20/40 with a gas-permeable contact lens.