Macular function of successfully repaired macula-off retinal detachments.

PURPOSE

To assess the macular function of successfully repaired macula-off retinal detachments in the long term and to evaluate the relationship between duration of macular detachment and functional recovery.

METHODS

Of 214 consecutive patients, 29 who were operated on because of unilateral retinal detachment with at least 6 months of follow-up and whose best-corrected visual acuity was better than 0.05 Snellen chart value in both eyes were examined. Operated eyes were included in group I, and the fellow eyes were included in group II. Macular functions were evaluated in terms of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color vision, visual field, and visual evoked potentials after reattachment.

RESULTS

All macular functions except P100 amplitudes in the operated eyes were significantly less than those in the fellow eyes (P = 0.28) following reattachment after nearly 5 years. It was found that the longer the duration of macular detachment (except detachment duration of < or = 7 days), the smaller the increase in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color vision defect scores (P = 0.000, P = 0.034, and P = 0.0003, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Macular functions except P100 amplitude cannot be recovered completely 5 years after retinal reattachment. There was no relation between the duration of macular detachment and the mean deviation in visual field and the P100 latency and P100 amplitude difference between both eyes.