The visual outcome and the related factors in macula off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the factors affecting the visual outcome in macula off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD). Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart review of the patients who underwent repair for macula off rhegmatogenous RD with minimum 6 month follow-up. Duration of symptoms (DS), clinical findings, surgical method, number of reoperations, optical coherence tomography findings and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: A total of 28 eyes of 27 patients were included in the study. The mean duration of symptoms was 11.1±9.0 (range, 3-45) days. Twelve eyes (42.9%) underwent scleral buckling whereas 16 eyes (57.1%) underwent pars plana vitrectomy. The mean follow-up time was 23.2±19.4 (range, 6-84) months. Twelve (42.8%) eyes had a final visual acuity (VA) of 20/30 or higher and 17(60.7%) eyes had a final VA of 20/40 or higher. VA significantly increased without any intervention between 12 to 24-month in 10 eyes with longer than 12-month follow-up. The final VA in patients with DS?7 days was not significantly higher than the patients with DS between 8-14 days (p=0.936) or ?14 days (p=0. 721). The final VA correlated with only initial VA (p=0.046). Initial VA and cystoid macular edema (CME) were found to be the significant independent factors for the final VA (p=0.054 and p=0.004). Conclusions: Visual outcome could be favorable with DS longer than 1 week in patients with macula off rhegmatogenous RD. Initial VA and CME were the independent factors for the final VA. Visual recovery could continue at least up to 24 months following RD repair.