Longitudinal Microvascular Changes on Optical Coherence Tomographic Angiography After Macula-Off Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Repair Surgery

Purpose: To investigate longitudinal changes and associated factors for microvascular parameters in macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after repair surgery.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 34 eyes with macula-off RRD. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and parafoveal vessel density were recorded every 3 months for 1 year after surgery. We analyzed 3 × 3 mm and 6 × 6 mm swept-source optical coherence tomographic (OCT) angiography images to quantify microvascular parameters. Individual clinical factors and pre- and postoperative OCT images were analyzed to find factors associated with changes in the FAZ area and vessel density 12 months after surgery.

Results: The differences in FAZ area and vessel density between the operated and fellow eye at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively were 0.127 ± 0.05, 0.111 ± 0.06, 0.108 ± 0.07, and 0.105 ± 0.06 mm2 and 4.33 ± 1.42, 3.56 ± 2.05, 2.73 ± 1.72, and 2.61 ± 1.71/mm. Preoperative sensory retina thickness and surgical methods significantly correlated with decreased vessel density at 12 months. Surgical method-based analysis found that postoperative vessel density damage in the pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) group was more prominent than in the buckling group.

Conclusion: After macula-off RRD surgery, microvascular parameters were impaired after successful anatomical repair but recovered over 12 months. The PPV group exhibited significantly lower postoperative parafoveal vessel density than the buckling group.