Characteristics of pseudophakic retinal detachment and risk factors of recurrence

Background

The present study was designed to gain knowledge about the prognostic factors and evolution of pseudophakic retinal detachment (PRD) and to analyse the main characteristics of PRD, such as the mean time to retinal detachment following cataract surgery, as well as the clinical factors associated with the risk of recurrence and worse anatomical and functional outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective monocentric study of 330 patients with PRD who underwent surgery between 2012 and 2020. All patients were pseudophakic and were referred for retinal detachment surgery at Donostia University Hospital (Terciary Hospital, Spain).

Results

The mean age of the patients at the time of phacoemulsification was 63.06 ± 10.8 years, and 49.09% of them had moderate myopia [axial length (AL) (23.5–26.5 mm)]. In our series, macular detachment was evident in 69.09% (n = 228) of the patients. The mean time that elapsed between phacoemulsification and PRD surgery was 4.04 ± 4.17 years, which was reduced by half in the event of surgical complications (2.24 ± 2.65). The rate of PRD was 28.79%. The anatomical results in terms of retinal reapplication were better with the combination of vitrectomy and scleral buckling (83.1% vs. 70.5%) (p = 0,127) compared with vitrectomy. The variables associated with a higher risk of recurrence were male sex (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.75), macular detachment (HR = 2.00) and the presence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) (HR = 3.21).

Conclusions

PRD usually occurs within 4 years of phacoemulsification, although it may occur significantly earlier in the event of surgical complications. Macular involvement, PVR, and male sex are all associated with a higher risk of PRD recurrence.