CHANGES IN METAMORPHOPSIA AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FINDINGS AFTER SUCCESSFUL RETINAL DETACHMENT SURGERY.

PURPOSE

To investigate changes in metamorphopsia after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment surgery and to evaluate the relationship between metamorphopsia and retinal microstructures assessed with optical coherence tomography.

METHODS

The study included 47 eyes of 47 patients undergoing retinal detachment surgery. We examined the severity of metamorphopsia using M-CHARTS, best-corrected visual acuity, and optical coherence tomography images. All data were recorded before and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, except for M-CHARTS which were recorded only postoperatively.

RESULTS

Metamorphopsia scores at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively were 0.46 ± 0.51, 0.41 ± 0.44, and 0.28 ± 0.37, respectively, with significant improvement from 3 months to 12 months after surgery. Significant metamorphopsia (score ≥0.2) was present in 49% of patients at 12 months postoperatively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that metamorphopsia score at 12 months was significantly related to the status of macula and interdigitation zone. In patients with macula-off retinal detachment, improvement of metamorphopsia scores was associated with an increase in thickness of external limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelium.

CONCLUSION

After successful retinal detachment surgery, metamorphopsia gradually improved, but nearly half of the patients still exhibited metamorphopsia at 12 months postoperatively. Disruption of interdigitation zone and external limiting membrane-retinal pigment epithelium thickness was related to metamorphopsia.