Purpose: To present the distribution of time to retinal redetachment in eyes undergoing retinal detachment surgery, using a method for adjusting time to outcome in eyes with silicone oil or heavy liquid tamponade ("oil-filled eyes").
Methods: Data from two Australian centers were used. Adjusted time to outcome was measured from the date of tamponade removal in oil-filled eyes, unless failure was diagnosed with tamponade in situ.
Results: 188/1257 failures were identified (15.0%). Using unadjusted time to outcome, failures in oil-filled eyes occurred later than non-oil-filled eyes (median time to failure 57 vs. 28 days, P < 0.001). After adjustment, the distribution of time to failure was similar for oil-filled and non-oil-filled eyes (median 25 vs. 28 days, P = 0.68). Larger detachments, eyes with ≥Grade B proliferative vitreoretinopathy and eyes receiving surgery for recurrent detachments were more likely to fail, but the time to failure was similar regardless of risk.
Conclusion: Adjustment of time to outcome resulted in a similar distribution of time to failure in oil-filled and non-oil filled eyes and was similar in low- and high-risk eyes. The use of adjusted time to outcome will support consistent collection and interpretation of outcomes across different jurisdictions where time to oil removal may vary.