Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate possible changes in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) after successful surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).
Methods :
Forty eyes, which underwent surgery for primary RRD, were included in the study. Successful surgery was performed either by pars plana vitrectomy, retinopexy and SF6 gas tamponade or pneumatic retinopexy. Exclusion criteria were known conditions that can cause changes to the RNFL (e.g. history of glaucoma) or surgery that demanded extensive manipulations. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used for the measurement of the peripapillary RNFL. Values calculated by the device in 6 peripapillary sectors were used. Pre-operative measurements and at 1, 3 and 6 months time post-operative were compared. Control eye was the fellow eye at each time point. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were also recorded. Eighteen patients have completed the 6 month follow up .
Results :
18 patients have completed the six month follow up and were compared. Initially, the peripapillary RNFL values of the 18 affected (detached) eyes were measured in each follow up (at 1, 3 and 6 month post operatively). Only segments that are corresponding to the detached area were compared. Analysis was performed with one-way Anova and post-huc Tukey test. 17 eyes. Statistically significant changes were noticed in 15 eyes at least in one segment related to the detached area. Out of these, 5 eyes had statistically significant change in all RNFL segments corresponding to the detached area and 10 eyes at least in one segment. Finally, RNFL segments related to the detached retina were compared in each follow up between the two eyes. Two-tailed T-test was used for the analysis. 14 out of 18 eyes showed statistically significant difference in each follow up, 2 had no significant difference and 2 had statistical differences only in some time points.
Conclusions :
The peripapillary RNFL values in the segments related to the detached retina seem to be affected over time despite successful retinal detachment repair.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.