Risk Factors, Onset, and Progression of Epiretinal Membrane after 25-Gauge Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Abstract Purpose To investigate the risk factors, onset timing, and progression of epiretinal membrane (ERM) after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Design Retrospective, comparative case series. Participants The study included 322 eyes of 322 patients who underwent primary PPV for RRD from January 2014 to December 2016. Methods Patients underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Cases with hyperreflective lines above the inner retinal surface and deformation of the foveal pit were defined as ERM cases. Those with loss of the foveal pit were defined as advanced ERM cases. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the risk factors of postoperative ERM. The onset timing of ERM and progression to advanced ERM after PPV for RRD were also investigated based on the OCT findings. Main Outcome Measures Risk factors, onset timing, and progression of ERM after PPV for RRD. Results In the multivariate analysis, the incidence of postoperative ERM was significantly higher in eyes with preoperative vitreous hemorrhage (VH) (P = 0.011) and without internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling (P Conclusions Preoperative VH can increase the occurrence of postoperative ERM. In most ERM cases, the occurrence and progression were detected relatively early after surgery; therefore, in high risk cases, careful follow-up is encouraged until 3 months after surgery.