Macular microcirculation blood flow changes after conventional surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Purpose
To assess the macular microcirculation blood flow in patients after conventional surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD)with Doppler laser scanning (HRF – Heidelberg retinal flowmeter).

Material and methods
Thirty patients (13 males and 17 females) in age: 28 – 68 years, mean age: 58.7 years with unilateral RRD without macular involvement were included in a prospective study. According to the type of buckling procedure the patients were divided into 3 groups: I – encircling band (8 cases), II – encircling band with radial or circumferential buckling (12 cases), III – radial or circumferential buckling (10 cases). In all patients the macular blood flow was measured with Heidelberg retina flowmeter (HRF) before and 4 weeks after scleral buckling procedures. Control group consists of the fellow eyes.

Results
At the baseline examination in a group of eyes with RRD the mean values of macular blood flow were significantly lower comparing to fellow eyes and reached respectively: 298.4 ± 79.2 AU and 435.6 ± 121.0 AU (p=0.001) and correlated with the extent of RRD (p<0.05). Four weeks after surgery eyes that underwent the buckling procedures showed the elevation of macular blood flow as compared to the baseline values (p=0.001), however they remain slightly lower as compared to fellow eyes. The macular microcirculation blood flow changes were not influenced by the type of scleral buckling (p=0.2).

Conclusions
In the eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment without macular involvement the mean macular microcirculation blood flows were lower as compared to fellow eyes. Different buckling procedures for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment influence the macular blood flow, causing its improvement as compared to the preoperative status but they remain lower comparing to fellow eyes.