Abstract
Purpose: :
The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the effect of duration of macular detachment (DMD) on visual acuity (VA) and anatomic results in patients with macula–off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after a scleral buckling procedure.
Methods: :
Pre–, per– and postoperative (visual acuity) data of 355 consecutive patients with primary, uncomplicated, macula–off retinal detachments, a precise history of when macular function was lost and a minimal follow up of 3 months were analyzed. All retinal detachments were repaired with a primary scleral buckling procedure performed by three vitreoretinal surgeons in our clinic. Main outcome measures were post operative visual acuity, anatomic reattachment, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).DMD was divided into three intervals: acute (10 days or less), subacute days to 6 weeks), and chronic (more than 6 weeks).
Results: :
The mean postoperative visual acuity (in logMAR) of eyes with DMD up to 10 days was 0.35 ± 0.31 (20/40 – 20/50 Snellen Equivalent) in the subacute group the mean visual acuity was 0.48 ± 0.26 (20/60 Snellen Equivalent) and in the eyes with DMD longer than 6 weeks it was 0.86 ± 0.30 (8/60 Snellen Equivalent). Considering all eyes, the slope of the postoperative visual acuity decline shows a cut off point at a DMD of 10 days. A direct correlation was found between a longer DMD and a worse postoperative best corrected visual acuity within the group of patients with DMD up to 10 days (slope 0.076; P < .000).
Conclusions: :
The best mean post operative visual acuity was seen in patients with a macula off retinal detachment repaired within the first 10 days.
Keywords: retinal detachment • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications