CHANGES IN METAMORPHOPSIA AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FINDINGS AFTER SUCCESSFUL RETINAL DETACHMENT SURGERY

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate changes in metamorphopsia after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery and to evaluate the relationship between metamorphopsia and retinal microstructures assessed with optical coherence tomography.

Methods: The study included 47 eyes of 47 patients undergoing retinal detachment surgery. We examined the severity of metamorphopsia using M-CHARTS, best-corrected visual acuity, and optical coherence tomography images. All data were recorded before and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, except for M-CHARTS which were recorded only postoperatively.

Results: Metamorphopsia scores at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively were 0.46 ± 0.51, 0.41 ± 0.44, and 0.28 ± 0.37, respectively, with significant improvement from 3 months to 12 months after surgery. Significant metamorphopsia (score ≥0.2) was present in 49% of patients at 12 months postoperatively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that metamorphopsia score at 12 months was significantly related to the status of macula and interdigitation zone. In patients with macula-off retinal detachment, improvement of metamorphopsia scores was associated with an increase in thickness of external limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelium.

Conclusion: After successful retinal detachment surgery, metamorphopsia gradually improved, but nearly half of the patients still exhibited metamorphopsia at 12 months postoperatively. Disruption of interdigitation zone and external limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelium thickness was related to metamorphopsia.