Evolving Trends for the Clinical Presentation of Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments From Early to Late Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: To evaluate the impact on trends in clinical presentation of acute, primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRD) from early to late phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study was a single-center, consecutive case series of 1,727 patients treated after vaccine availability ("late"; 3/29/21 to 9/26/21), corresponding time frame in previous year of pandemic ("early"; 3/30/20 to 9/27/20), and prior to pandemic ("pre"; 4/1/19 to 9/29/19). Primary outcome was proportion of patients presenting with macula-off RRD. Secondary outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and primary proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

Results: While macula-off RRD rates were significantly ( < 0.0001) elevated in early and late cohorts compared to the pre cohort, only the early cohort showed a significant ( < 0.0001) increase in both primary PVR presentation and complex RRD repair. Patients lost to follow-up in early cohort were significantly ( < 0.0001) higher than others. Early cohort showed significantly ( < 0.0001) worse final BCVA compared to others.

Conclusion: Patients in late pandemic were less likely to exhibit clinical features of worse RRD disease and have improved visual outcomes compared to those in early pandemic. .