Introduction: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) is
still a sight-threatening and potentially blinding disease,
especially if both eyes are affected. The purpose of this study
is analysing the specific characteristics of bilateral
rhegmatogenous RD.
Methods: The files of all 5,791 consecutive
eyes undergoing vitreoretinal surgery for uncomplicated
RD in a single tertiary retinal centre between
January 2005 and June 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: A total of 300 patients (600 eyes) had bilateral
retinal detachment. Interval between initial and subsequent
RD surgery was 2.6 ± 2.8 (mean ± SD, median 1.5) years.
Symptoms were reported by the patients for 20 ± 75
(median 5) days before presentation in the initial eye and
12 ± 32 (median 4) days in the subsequent eye. 220 patients
were male (73%), and mean age at initial RD was 55 years.
183 (61%) of the initial RD eyes were phakic. In the initial eye,
more patients had a detached macula, worse visual acuity,
and more quadrants involved. Primary anatomic success
rate was higher in the subsequent eye (90%) compared to
the initial eye (83%). There was no difference in the reattachment
rate of fellow eyes with primary failure in the first
eye (91%) compared to those with primary success in the
first eye (90%). There was a high symmetry between the eyes
in terms of type of retinal break, number of breaks, and
presumed localization of the causative retinal break.
Conclusion: Patients with bilateral RD were more commonly
male and younger than the group of all RD patients. The
proportion of pseudophakia was not different. The majority
of fellow eye RD occurred within 2 years after the RD in the
first eye. Second eye RD was less advanced and had a better
anatomical repair rate. Despite their experience in the first
eye and despite typical symptoms, patients presented only
after a mean of 12 days with RD in the second eye. RD in the
initial and the subsequent eye showed a high symmetry. The
anatomic result in the first eye is not a predictor for the
anatomic result in the subsequent eye.