Association of Microvasculature Changes with Visual Outcomes after Successful Retinal Detachment Surgery

Sarah Stoebener; Julia Salleron; Astrid Zessler; Geoffrey Pastor; Karine Angioi-Duprez; Jean-Paul Berrod; Jean-Baptiste Conart

doi:10.1016/j.oret.2022.04.020

Association of Microvasculature Changes with Visual Outcomes after Successful Retinal Detachment Surgery

Ophthalmol Retina. 2022 Oct;6(10):886-892. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2022.04.020. Epub 2022 May 4.

Authors

Sarah Stoebener¹, Julia Salleron², Astrid Zessler³, Geoffrey Pastor⁴, Karine Angioi-Duprez⁴, Jean-Paul Berrod⁴, Jean-Baptiste Conart⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Nancy, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. Electronic address: sarah.stoebener@gmail.com.
² Department of Biostatistics and Data Management, Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine, Université de Lorraine, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
³ School of Medicine, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
⁴ Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Nancy, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.

PMID: 35525534
DOI: 10.1016/j.oret.2022.04.020

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate macular microvascular changes and their correlation with visual outcomes after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Participants: The study included 74 eyes successfully operated for RRD.

Methods: The foveal avascular zone area in the superficial capillary plexus, the vessel density (VD) in the superficial capillary plexus, vessel density deep capillary plexus (VD DCP), and choriocapillary plexus were evaluated using octangiography at 1 and 6 months postoperatively. The fellow eyes were used as controls for comparison.

Main outcome measures: The correlation between octangiography parameters and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed using a hybrid linear mixed model. We also analyzed the relationship between octangiography parameters and the integrity of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) of photoreceptors.

Results: The median VD DCP was significantly decreased in RRD eyes at 1 month (P = 0.019), but gradually improved over time to reach the value of the fellow eyes at 6 months (P = 1). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in median foveal avascular zone area, superficial capillary plexus, and choriocapillary plexus (P = 0.579, P = 0.618, P = 0.068 and P = 0.819, P = 1, and P = 1, respectively) at both 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative BCVA was positively correlated with VD DCP (P = 0.009) in multivariate analysis. Eyes with low 1-month VD DCP tended to have worse final BCVA (P = 0.067). There was no correlation between VD DCP and ELM and/or EZ integrity at both 1 (P = 0.156) and 6 months postoperatively (P = 0.161). Eyes with intact ELM and EZ at 6 months, however, had significantly higher 1-month VD DCP than those with disrupted ELM and/or EZ (P = 0.027).

Conclusion: The VD DCP was affected in RRD eyes as well as strongly associated with postoperative BCVA and the restoration of photoreceptor layers. It might thus serve as a predictor for visual recovery following successful RRD surgery.

Keywords: Octangiography; Photoreceptor layer; Retinal detachment; Retinal vessel density.

MeSH terms

Capillaries
Humans
Retinal Detachment* / diagnosis
Retinal Detachment* / surgery
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, Optical Coherence
Visual Acuity
Vitrectomy