Visual recovery after retinal detachment

Visual recovery after successful surgery for the macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment continues to be an important topic for ophthalmologists. Recent studies have shown that despite the intuitive notion regarding outcomes in macula-off detachment, there is no improvement in final visual acuity despite more expedient repair within the first week. Macula-off detachments can therefore be treated with less urgency and can wait for the next scheduled available operating room time. Surgeons involved in retinal detachment surgery should be aware that visual function based on acuity testing may continue to improve in the long term, most notably in those with the following patient characteristics: younger age, no or mild myopia (less than -5.00 D), and shorter duration of macular detachment (30 days or less).