Abstract
Purpose :
Differences in sociodemographic factors contribute to health disparities in various ophthalmic conditions. We hypothesized that racial minorities, compared to white patients, have worse visual acuity outcomes following rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment repair. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients at a tertiary medical center to compare the presentation and outcomes of retinal detachment repair based on race.
Methods :
This study included 186 eyes of 181 patients who underwent primary retinal detachment repair at from 2013 to 2021. Eyes with rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment which underwent repair with at least three months of follow-up were included. Eyes with other visually significant pathology were excluded. Baseline characteristics, surgical repair techniques, and final visual acuity outcomes were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed to identify significant differences between the minority and non-minority patient groups.
Results :
144 patients identified their race as white and 42 patients identified with a minority race. Gender and baseline visual acuity were similar between the two groups. Age (p=.0005) and insurance status (p=.011) were statistically significant differences between the two groups. 91% of white patients had health insurance, while 23.8% of non-white patients had health insurance. Time from evaluation to surgery was significantly longer in non-white patients (p=.027). Minority patients were less likely to be pseudophakic at presentation (p=.003) and at final follow-up (p=.005). Visual outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups.
Conclusions :
Although the average final visual acuity did not differ between white and non-white patients undergoing retinal detachment surgical repair, minority patients who underwent operative management were of younger age, more likely to be uninsured, less likely to have cataract surgery before and after repair, and experience longer waiting times for surgical treatment following clinical evaluation. These findings may help increase physician awareness of barriers to ophthalmic surgical care associated with race.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.