Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Treated With Pars-Plana Vitrectomy: Impact of Gas Tamponade

Purpose: To investigate changes in vision-related quality of life in patients treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and compare groups according to the type of gas tamponade used. Methods: Participants in this study were 48 patients with RRD who were treated with PPV and gas tamponade (sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)) or perfluoropropane (C(3)F(8))) without internal limiting membrane peeling. All participants underwent slit-lamp examination, fundoscopy, axial-length measurement, and completed the Vision Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) at month six postoperatively. We compared VFQ-25 composite and subscale scores in the SF(6) and C(3)F(8) groups and investigated any correlations between age, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), axial length, and VFQ-25 scores. Results: The demographic and clinical characteristics of the two groups (axial length, macular status, retinal detachment extent, duration of symptoms, and lens status) were comparable between the two groups. We found a statistically significant decrease in general vision (GV), ocular pain (OP), and driving (D) scores in the C(3)F(8) group compared to the SF(6) group. The VFQ-25 composite score was comparable in the two groups. Similarly, all other subscales of the VFQ-25 did not differ significantly between the two groups. Age and BCVA did not significantly correlate with VFQ-25 composite and subscale scores. Conclusion: Specific VFQ-25 subscales were decreased in patients with RRD treated with C(3)F(8) as a gas tamponade compared to SF(6). This finding warrants further research in the tamponade agents used in PPV surgeries.