How to Prevent Retinal Shift after Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Repair: A Prospective, Randomized Study

To evaluate the effect of intraoperative use of heavy liquid on retinal shift after retinal detachment repair.

Prospective, randomized study.

Patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy for macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were included in the current study.

Patients were randomized into 2 groups: group A included patients in whom heavy liquid was used during the procedure and group B included patients in whom no heavy liquid was used. Group A and B patients were reviewed after 3 weeks and after 6 weeks, respectively, and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images were obtained to visualize the retinal rotation.

Postoperative macular shift, visualized with FAF.

A total of 50 eyes from 49 patients were included. Overall, retinal shift was observed in 17 patients (34%). Patients in whom heavy liquid was used during the procedure showed significantly less macular shift after surgery (P = 0.049). There was a strong association between retinal shift and postoperative symptoms of metamorphopsia. Ten of 17 patients with retinal shift reported distorted vision (P < 0.001).

The use of intraoperative heavy liquid seems to be associated with lower occurrence of retinal shift after retinal detachment repair.