Our modification of the limbal peritomy technique in retinal detachment surgery involved recession of the confunctiva 3 mm posterior to the corneoscleral limbus as the conjunctiva was closed. This recession offered some advantages over the standard nonrecessed method: fewer sutures were required; postoperative ophthalmoscopy was not impaired by conjunctiva swelling over the cornea; the eye was comfortable and quiet in appearance because there was no suture material or inflamed conjunctiva adjacent to the corneoscleral limbus. We have not encountered any disadvantages in several hundred cases.