Long-Term Follow-Up of Macular Perfusion Evaluated by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography after Rhegmatogenous...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) can impact macular microvasculature.
• Assessing long-term vascular changes post-RRD surgery is crucial for understanding visual recovery.
• Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) offers high-resolution imaging of retinal vasculature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate macular microvascular changes one year after successful RRD surgery.
• To evaluate the impact of different surgical techniques (vitrectomy with/without buckling) on retinal vascularity.
• To compare vascular parameters between operated and contralateral healthy eyes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of RRD patients treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) +/- scleral buckling (SB).
• High-resolution spectral-domain OCTA (DRI-Triton) used at 12 months post-surgery.
• Analysis of superficial and deep capillary plexuses (SCP/DCP) vessel density (VD), choriocapillaris (CC) flow, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) morphology.

Main Results:

• Macular VD showed some central increases in SCP/DCP in macula-off eyes, but quadrant-specific decreases were noted.
• Diminished CC flow in the temporal quadrant was observed in eyes treated with PPV + SB.
• Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) diameters were smaller in macula-off eyes compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Macular vascularity is largely stable one year after successful RRD surgery.
• Surgical technique and prior macular status did not significantly alter overall macular vascularity long-term.
• OCTA confirms the resilience of macular microvasculature post-RRD repair.