Purposes: To investigate the incidence and factors influencing the occurrence of metamorphopsia in patients with simple rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after surgery.
Methods: Relevant studies of metamorphopsia were identified by searching in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane until August 2022. Meta-analysis of the incidence of metamorphopsia after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery was performed using Review Manager 5.4 statistical software.
Results: A total of 12 studies reported 1133 participants with 469 patients with postoperative metamorphopsia. The meta-analysis showed a higher incidence of metamorphopsia in macular-off cases compared with macular-on RRD (RR = 2.88, 95% CI: 2.35 to 3.52). The use of perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) reduced the incidence of metamorphopsia (RR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.92). There was no evidence of any important difference in metamorphopsia between participants in the PPV group and the scleral buckling (SB) group (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.33). There was little or no difference in metamorphopsia between gas and silicon oil (SO) in the PPV group (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.69 to 1.13).
Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative metamorphopsia is higher in macular-off RRD, and PFCL should be a preferred choice to prevent postoperative metamorphopsia in macula-off RRD cases.
Keywords: Meta-analysis; metamorphopsia; rhegmatogenous retinal detachment; surgery.