CLINICAL AND STRUCTURAL IMPACT OF SUBMACULAR FLUID AFTER PNEUMATIC RETINOPEXY REPAIR FOR RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a serious condition requiring timely intervention.
• Pneumatic retinopexy (PR) is a common surgical technique for primary RRD repair.
• Submacular fluid (SMF) can occur post-PR, and its impact on visual outcomes requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of submacular fluid (SMF) following pneumatic retinopexy (PR) for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).
• To evaluate the association of SMF with visual acuity and outer retinal integrity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 387 eyes undergoing PR for primary RRD.
• Analysis of optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans from 166 eyes post-successful PR.
• Correlation of SMF presence with pre- and post-operative visual acuity and OCT findings.

Main Results:

• SMF occurred in 35.5% of eyes, associated with macular detachment and phakic status.
• SMF resolved over ~9 months, linked to worse pre-procedure visual acuity and delayed recovery.
• Final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.277 logMAR (20/40) with SMF vs. 0.162 logMAR (20/30) without (P < 0.001).
• SMF was associated with outer retinal discontinuity (interdigitation zone, ellipsoid zone, external limiting membrane) after resolution.

Conclusions:

• Trace SMF is common after successful PR for RRD.
• SMF can lead to delayed visual recovery and outer retinal changes.
• Despite temporary effects, the final visual acuity difference between eyes with and without SMF is minimal.