Study Identifies RRD Recurrence and Fellow-eye Detachment Risk Factors

Management approaches to retinal detachment have shifted in recent years from an emphasis on single-operation reattachment rates to boosting functional outcomes for patients with less invasive techniques aimed at preserving anatomical integrity and improving visual function for better quality of life. Photo: Mohammad Rafieetary, OD. Click image to enlarge. There are many ways to repair rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRD), from pneumatic retinopexy and scleral buckling to pars plana vitrectomy. Though all have proven effective, it’s still unclear if an optimal approach exists for a given patient. To establish potential risk factors for re-detachment and fellow eye detachment, Canadian researchers assessed surgical outcomes at two hospitals in Toronto. Their findings were recently published in Retina.The retrospective study included 794 patients with primary RRD. All patients underwent repair surgery within a six-year period, performed by six surgeons. The researchers reported recurrent retinal detachment in 20.5% of patients and fellow eye detachment in 5.2% of patients. All eyes had significantly improved postoperative visual acuity at one year.The researchers wrote that higher recurrence rates were linked with prolonged symptom duration, preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy and worse initial visual acuity. Re-detachment occurred primarily within 90 days, while fellow eye retinal detachment was mostly seen after a year. Statistical analyses showed that pneumatic retinopexy and the extent of the detachment were the key predictors for recurrence, while male sex and older age were predictors for fellow eye detachment.“The study findings have the potential to facilitate earlier diagnosis and intervention, guide risk stratification, optimize patient counseling, and ultimately improve patient outcomes,” the researchers concluded in their paper.They added that incorporating functional metrics such as visual acuity, metamorphopsia, aniseikonia, contrast sensitivity and vision-related quality of life can help assess how different repair techniques affect patient well-being.Click here for the journal source. Felfeli T, Murtaza F, Rabinovitch D, et al. Clinical and demographic risk factors associated with recurrent and fellow eye rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. Retina 2025. [Epub ahead of print]. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.