Factors Influencing Visual Outcome after Surgery for Retinal Detachment

Abstract

Aim: To identify the prognostic factors associated with good visual outcome after surgery for retinal detachment in a series of 103 eyes.
Materials and methods: Data were obtained from the case files of patients who had retina re-attachment surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment between June 2006 and December 2007 at the Eye Foundation
Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. The factors associated with good visual outcome were analysed using multiple logistic regression.

Results: A hundred and three eyes of 103 patients were evaluated. There were 80 males and 23 females with ages ranging from 10 to 69 years and a mean age of 46.1 +14.1 years. Preoperatively, 82 eyes (79.6%) had visual acuity (VA) worse than 3/60. In 78 eyes (75.7%), the macula was off, giant tears were seen in 9 eyes (8.7%), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) of grade C-1 and worse was seen in 30 eyes (29.1%). Primary anatomic reattachment was achieved in 83 eyes (80.5%), while final anatomic success was achieved in 93 eyes (90.2%). A good visual outcome was achieved in 40 eyes (38.8%). Three factors favourably affected visual outcome and were of statistical significance in the multiple logistic  regression analysis, viz absence of advanced PVR grade C-1 and worse (p=0.015), preoperative VA 6/60 and better (p=0.037), and primary anatomic success (p=0.052).

Conclusion: A good visual outcome after surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is favourably influenced by preoperative VA of 6/60 and better, absence of PVR of grade C-1 and worse, as well as theachievement of primary anatomic success.

Key words: rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, optical coherence tomography