Influence of persistent submacular fluid on visual outcome after successful scleral buckle surgery for macula-off retinal detachment

PURPOSE: To determine the influences of the extent and duration of persistent submacular fluid on final visual outcome after successful scleral buckle surgery for acute macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD). DESIGN: Prospective observational case series. METHODS: Forty-four consecutive patients (44 eyes) who underwent successful scleral buckle surgery for macula-off rhegmatogenous RD were enrolled patients underwent thorough ophthalmologic tests including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) assessments and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at one, three, six, nine, and 12 months postoperatively, until at least six months after the disappearance of subretinal fluid (SRF). Patients with persistent submacular fluid one month after surgery were assigned to group A and those without submacular fluid, to group B. In group A, patients whose submacular fluid disappeared before six months were assigned to group A1; the others, to group A2. The natural course of persistent SRF and associations between the extent and duration of SRF and postoperative BCVA were investigated. RESULTS: Twenty-three eyes (52.3%) were in group A and 21 eyes (47.7%) in group B. Twelve eyes (52.2%) were in group A1 and 11 eyes (47.8%) in group A2. SRF disappeared within 12 months after surgery without reoperation in all patients. No significant differences in final visual acuity (VA) were found among groups A, B, A1, and A2. Final VA was not found to be associated with SRF extent or duration. CONCLUSIONS: The presence and extent of submacular fluid after successful scleral buckle surgery for acute macula-off rhegmatogenous RD did not influence final VA or anatomic attachment.