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 rhegmatog-enous retinal detachments (RRD) from early to late phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study was a single-center, consecu-tive case series of 1,727 patients treated after vac-cine availability ("late"; 3/29/21 to 9/26/21), corre-sponding time frame in previous year of pandemic ("early"; 3/30/20 to 9/27/20), and prior to pandem-ic ("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 vit-reoretinopathy (PVR). RESULTS: While macula-off RRD rates were signifi-cantly (P < 0.0001) elevated in early and late co-horts compared to the pre cohort, only the early co-hort showed a significant (P < 0.0001) increase in both primary PVR presentation and complex RRD repair. Patients lost to follow-up in early cohort were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than oth-ers. Early cohort showed significantly (P < 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 com-pared to those in early pandemic.