Background and Purpose: This study aimed to investigate retrospectively the best postoperative long-term visual recovery after scleral buckling macula-off retinal detachment, and to explore the effect of variable factors on the final visual recovery.
Methods: Retrospectivly reviewed 47 eyes of 47 patients with macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, at 5-year follow-up. The duration of macular detachment were divided into less than 7 days and more than 7 days. Optical coherence tomography was used to evaluate the incomplete visual acuity recovery after macula-off retinal detachment at 5-year follow-up, although the retina seem attached by funduscopy.
Results: All patients (47/47) showed retina anatomically reattached with indirect ophthalmoscopy. 10 patients of them were randomly selected to do optical coherence tomography. 8 (8/10) patients’ visual acuities were not improved at 3 months postoperative, 5 of 8 patients made visual progress at 5 years follow-up. Residual subretinal fluids were detected in 2 of 10 cases by optical coherence tomography. Improvement of postoperative visual acuity was found to statistically correlate with duration of macular detachment and pre-operative visual acuity.
Conclusion: Duration of macular detachment and pre-operative visual acuity were the important factors, which significant affect visual recovery from macula-off retinal detachment. Visual function of reattachment may continue to improve over the long period. |