Clinical Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes of Bilateral Sequential Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Surgery
• Vision Science

Background:

• Sequential, bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) requires understanding differences between initial and subsequent affected eyes.
• Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes may vary between the first and second eye affected by RRD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical features and surgical results of initial versus subsequent eyes in patients with sequential, bilateral RRD.
• To investigate factors influencing surgical success and visual acuity in bilateral RRD cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 68 patients undergoing surgery for sequential, bilateral RRD.
• Collected baseline data, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcomes (single-surgery anatomic success, best-corrected visual acuity) for both eyes.
• Analyzed differences in symptom duration, visual acuity, retinal detachment extent, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

Main Results:

• Subsequent eyes showed shorter symptom duration, better baseline visual acuity, fewer involved quadrants, and less macular detachment than initial eyes.
• Single-surgery anatomic success rates were 66.2% for initial eyes and 73.5% for subsequent eyes (p=0.458).
• Final best-corrected visual acuity was similar between initial and subsequent eyes (p=0.901), with PVR being a common cause of failure in both.

Conclusions:

• Despite earlier diagnosis and less severe presentation, subsequent eyes did not achieve superior anatomical or functional outcomes compared to initial eyes.
• High prevalence of PVR in both initial and subsequent eyes suggests a potential shared biological predisposition.
• Findings highlight the persistent challenge of PVR in managing bilateral RRD and underscore the need for further research into underlying mechanisms.