Functional assessment of reattached macula in nine cases with excellent Snellen acuities

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the macular functions of patients with excellent visual acuity after retinal detachment (RD) surgery, with the healthy fellow eye.

Methods: Of 214 patients, nine patients, who were successfully operated because of unilateral RD involving the macula and achieved excellent visual acuity, were analysed. The fellow eyes of the patients were taken as the control group. The macular functions were evaluated with visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, colour vision, visual field, and pattern VEP in operated and nonoperated eyes.

Results: There was no significant difference in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, colour vision, and VEP outcomes between operated and nonoperated eyes. However, it was seen that the mean deviation in the visual field was significantly higher in the operated eyes (5.8+/-1.8 dB) when compared with the undetached fellow eyes (3.1+/-1.8 dB), (t=12.5; P=0.013).

Conclusion: Even though the visual acuity, colour vision, contrast sensitivity, and VEP results returned to normal after a successful RD surgery, we found that the mean deviation measured by the visual field, which reflects the retinal sensitivity, was still significantly low after nearly 5 years follow-up.