Statistically controlled studies substantiating the current widespread acceptance of intravitreal air injection as an adjunct to traditional or standard scleral buckling techniques in the repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment are unavailable. The surgical success rate of a prospectively chosen group of patients who received intravitreal air was compared with that of a retrospectively chosen but comparable group of patients who did not receive air injection in their detachment repair. The 100% retinal reattachment rate in the air group at six weeks was found to be statistically significant for comparable configurations of retinal detachment and superiorly located breaks in patients without significant proliferative vitreoretinopathy.