Effect of Subretinal Fluid Drainage Using Perfluorocarbon During Retinal Detachment Repair on Postoperative...

To determine whether subretinal fluid drainage (SRF) using perfluorocarbon (PFC) during rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair reduces postoperative metamorphopsia.

Consecutive patients after RRD were evaluated for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), funduscopy, and metamorphopsia using M-CHARTS. Fundus autofluorescence and optical coherence tomography were performed. Clinical and operative data were collected.

The cohort included 30 patients, of whom 11 (36.7%) underwent intraoperative PFC injection. Rates of macula-off RRD were similar in the two groups (54.5% and 47.4%, P = .705). No association was found between PFC injection and metamorphopsia score. Preoperative macula-off RRD was associated with significantly higher vertical and horizontal metamorphopsia scores than preoperative macula-on. BCVA was significantly worse in the patients with metamorphopsia (logMAR 0.15 vs. logMAR 0.04; P = .042) CONCLUSION: Intraoperative SRF drainage with PFC appears to have no beneficial effect on postoperative metamorphopsia. Metamorphopsia is associated with macular status. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:e263-e270.].