Retinal Break Surgery May Elevate Epiretinal Membrane Risk
A retrospective cohort study indicates that treating retinal breaks with laser retinopexy or cryotherapy significantly increases the risk of developing epiretinal membranes. This elevated risk persists for up to five years post-treatment compared to untreated cases.
Why it matters
These findings may influence clinical decision-making and patient counseling regarding the necessity and risks of prophylactic retinal break treatment.
Treatment of retinal breaks (RBs) with either laser retinopexy or cryotherapy is associated with a substantially increased risk of epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation compared with untreated RBs, with risk emerging early and remaining elevated through 5 years, according to results of a study published in Ophthalmology Retina .
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using the US TriNetX Collaborative Network, comprising data from more than 100 million patients across 70 healthcare systems, to identify adults with RBs without retinal detachment. Patients treated with laser retinopexy or cryotherapy were compared with untreated controls after 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) for demographic, systemic, lifestyle, and ocular characteristics.
Primary outcomes were ERM development and subsequent ERM peeling at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. Secondary and sensitivity analyses compared laser with cryotherapy, evaluated outcomes by eye laterality, and examined the contribution of hemorrhagic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) .
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