Retinal Break Features Show No Significant Link to Redetachment After Vitrectomy

In a retrospective cohort study evaluating outcomes after pars plana vitrectomy for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, researchers found that specific retinal break characteristics were not significantly associated with long-term anatomical failure or postoperative visual acuity. The investigation assessed whether anatomical and functional prognoses were influenced by the number of retinal breaks, their quadrant distribution, or the presence of inferior breaks.

The study cohort comprised 133 eyes from 133 patients, including 49 women and 84 men, who underwent primary vitrectomy at a single medical center between January 2013 and December 2024. All included individuals were monitored for a minimum follow-up duration of 12 months, with an overall mean follow-up period of 36.9 ± 12.5 months and an observed range spanning from 13 to 63 months.

To evaluate uncomplicated cases of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, the investigators established explicit selection criteria. Patients were excluded from the analysis if they presented with complicated retinal detachment, mixed-type detachment, recurrent detachment, or advanced proliferative vitreoretinopathy classified as grade C or higher, as well as those with less than 12 months of postoperative observation.

Clinical records documented the total count of retinal breaks, their distribution across retinal quadrants, and whether breaks were located in the inferior retina. The research team evaluated the time to redetachment utilizing Kaplan–Meier survival analysis alongside multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Across the cohort, the single-surgery anatomical success rate reached 92.5% at 12 months and 79.7% over the extended follow-up window. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, the presence of an inferior break was not significantly associated with redetachment, yielding an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.522 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.687 to 3.369 (p = 0.300). Furthermore, neither the quadrant distribution nor the total number of breaks showed a statistically significant association with long-term single-surgery anatomical success (p > 0.05 for all comparisons).

Regarding visual function, baseline best-corrected visual acuity emerged as the sole independent predictor of 12-month visual acuity (B = 0.286; 95% CI, 0.121–0.451; p = 0.001), while retinal break characteristics were not significantly associated with 12-month vision. Postoperative visual outcomes at 12 months also did not differ significantly between patients treated with gas versus silicone oil tamponade (p = 0.430). The authors concluded that because the cohort featured a limited number of redetachment events resulting in wide confidence intervals, these findings require cautious interpretation.

Subject of Research: Prognostic significance of retinal break characteristics following primary vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Article Title: Retinal break characteristics and time to redetachment after primary vitrectomy for uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a retrospective cohort study

Article References: Onur, I. U., Furuncuoglu, U., Altay, L., Demirayak, B., Topuz, H. N., & Vural, A. (2026). Retinal break characteristics and time to redetachment after primary vitrectomy for uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Ophthalmology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-026-05524-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12886-026-05524-y

Keywords: rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, pars plana vitrectomy, retinal break characteristics, inferior retinal breaks, break quadrant distribution, redetachment, anatomical success, best-corrected visual acuity, silicone oil tamponade, gas tamponade, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, multivariable Cox regression, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, retrospective cohort study, ophthalmology, postoperative outcomes