Postoperative Recovery of Light Sensitivity in Eyes with Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate whether postoperative light sensitivity recovers completely to the level prior to the development of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after successful surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 44 eyes of 44 patients with RRD who were successfully operated and who underwent Humphrey central 30-2 perimetry postoperatively. The averaged total deviation in Humphrey perimetry in the reattached retina was compared with that of the horizontal or vertical counterpart in the preoperatively non-detached retina.

Results: The averaged total deviation in the reattached retina was significantly lower than in its counterpart (p < 0.0001). The averaged residual loss of light sensitivity did not correlate with postoperative visual acuity (p = 0.8047) or with its change (p = 0.1242).

Conclusions: Light sensitivity in the detached retina in eyes with RRD does not completely recover after successful surgery.

Keywords: Humphrey perimetry; Light sensitivity; Postoperative recovery; Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment; Total deviation.

Fig. 1

Methods used to compare total deviation in the reattached retina with its counterpart in the preoperatively non-detached retina. a A preoperative fundus image of the left eye of a 26-year-old male showing detachment in the temporal retina. b A grid of the total deviation values of the postoperative Humphrey 30-2 was superimposed over the preoperative fundus image, which is inverted upside down and magnified to locate the blind spot at the site of the optic nerve head. The red circles in the shaded area covering the preoperatively detached retina indicate the investigated points in the reattached retina that have normal counterparts in the preoperatively non-detached retina; these are indicated by green circles, opposite to the vertical midline in this case. c Grey scale display of the preoperative Humphrey 30-2. d Grey scale display of the postoperative Humphrey 30-2.

Fig. 2

Averaged total deviation in the reattached retina and in the preoperatively non-detached counterpart in the postoperative eyes. Horizontal bars indicate the median values and boxes indicate the 25 and 75% limits.

Fig. 3

Averaged total deviation in the preoperatively detached retina, the reattached retina, and the preoperatively non-detached counterpart in 10 selected eyes.

Fig. 4

Correlation between averaged residual loss of light sensitivity and change in logMAR BCVA. The averaged residual loss of light sensitivity is the mean difference between total deviation in the reattached retina and in the normal counterpart in each eye. logMAR, logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution; BCVA, best-corrected visual acuity.