Morphometric analysis of fovea with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and visual outcome postsurgery for retinal detachment

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to correlate the postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings in fovea involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty eyes with preoperative fovea-involving RRD, who underwent scleral buckling (SB) (6 eyes) and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) (19 eyes) and combined SB and PPV (5 eyes) were recruited. Patients underwent clinical examination and SD-OCT scan of fovea preoperatively and at 30 days and 90 days postoperatively. The correlations between SD-OCT findings and BCVA were analyzed. RESULTS: Inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction integrity was the indicator of better BCVA at 30 days and 90 days (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.0003, respectively) whereas outer retinal corrugation (ORC) was related to worse BCVA at 30 days and 90 days (P = 0.001). External limiting membrane did not have a co-relation with visual outcome, but cystoid macular edema showed co-relation at 90 days (P = 0.047). All eyes of SB and 3 eyes of PPV had a minimal subfoveal fluid at 30 days follow-up that had no effect on visual acuity. All retinas were attached at final follow-up. CONCLUSION: IS/OS junction integrity and ORC may be important predictors of postoperative visual outcome after anatomically successful RRD surgery.