Electroretinographic studies in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment before and after reattachment surgery

Changes in the scotopic electroretinogram (ERG) and oscillatory potentials (Ops) were examined in patients who had rhegmatogenous retinal detachment within 3 days before and also at regular intervals after a successful reattachment operation. Electroretinograms were recorded in 38 patients (age 10 to 62 years) for the recent 5 year period. The amplitudes of the scotopic a-wave and b-wave in the detached eye were significantly decreased compared to the fellow normal eye preoperatively. Statistically significant differences were found between the preoperative and the postoperative recordings of the diseased eye. However, postoperative interocular differences in the amplitude of the a-wave between the reattached and normal fellow eye were not statistically significant. The amplitudes of the a-wave and b-wave were inversely related to the extent of the retinal detachment area, the duration of the detachment, and the extent of the buckles that were applied. Significant interocular differences in the b/a wave amplitude ratio and the Ops amplitude were observed. These results strongly suggest that the retinal function, even after successful reattachment surgery, might be compromised mainly by an inner retinal malfunction rather than from a photoreceptor dysfunction.