Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.)
October 1, 2026 · via Europe PMC
HIGH INCIDENCE OF CONTRALATERAL RETINAL DETACHMENT IN PATIENTS WITH GIANT RETINAL TEARS: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Lustig-Barzelay Y, Yahav N, Fogel M, Platner E, Katz G, Hostovsky A.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
A retrospective study found a notably high rate of contralateral retinal detachment in patients with giant retinal tears, and the prophylactic laser protocol used at the study institution showed no protective effect, suggesting a need for more aggressive preventive approaches.
What was studied
A retrospective cohort study at Sheba Medical Center of 77 patients with nontraumatic, nonsyndromic giant retinal tears (GRTs) who underwent surgical repair, following their fellow (contralateral) eyes for retinal events, evaluating the natural history, effectiveness of prophylactic laser treatment, and risk factors for contralateral detachment using t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.
Key findings
- Retinal tears occurred in 44.2% (34/77) of contralateral eyes, with 33.8% (26/77) progressing to detachment or giant retinal tears.
- Prophylactic 360° laser was performed in only 15.6% (12/77) of contralateral eyes, with no significant difference in detachment rates between treated and untreated eyes (33.3% vs 33.8%, P=0.972).
- No significant associations were found between contralateral detachment and age, axial length, or refraction.
Clinical relevance
The findings suggest that despite excluding syndromic patients, contralateral retinal detachment risk remains high in giant retinal tear patients, and that the specific prophylactic laser protocol used at this institution (a two-line anterior 360° laser) did not protect against this risk, which may be relevant to reconsidering prophylactic treatment protocols and emphasizing close monitoring of fellow eyes.
Who should care
Limitations
This was a retrospective, single-center study with a relatively small number of contralateral eyes receiving prophylactic laser (12 eyes), limiting statistical power to detect a smaller protective effect, and the authors themselves call for prospective evaluation of alternative protocols.
Contralateral retinal detachment was common after giant retinal tears, and the standard prophylactic laser approach used did not prevent it, suggesting more aggressive or better-targeted prevention strategies may be needed.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Purpose
Giant retinal tears (GRTs) pose a threat to vision, and contralateral retinal detachment can have a significant burden on the patient and remains a major concern. The authors investigated the natural history of the fellow eye, the effectiveness of prophylactic laser treatment, and risk factors of contralateral detachment.
Methods
Seventy-seven patients with nontraumatic, nonsyndromic GRTs who underwent surgical repair were followed for contralateral retinal events. Prophylactic laser was offered for contralateral eyes based on physician recommendation and patient consent. Demographic, ocular, and surgical outcomes were analyzed using paired t -tests, Pearson's Chi-square tests, and logistic regression. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at Sheba Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital.
Results
Retinal tears occurred in 44.2% (34/77) of contralateral eyes, with 33.8% (26/77) progressing to detachment or GRTs. Prophylactic 360° laser was performed in 15.6% (12/77), but no significant difference was found in detachment rates between treated eyes and untreated eyes (33.3% vs. 33.8%, P = 0.972). No significant associations were found with age, axial length, or refraction.
Conclusion
Despite excluding syndromic patients, the authors observed a high incidence of contralateral detachment in GRT patients. A two-line anterior 360° prophylactic laser, as currently applied at the authors' institute, showed no protective effect, suggesting that if applied, a more aggressive approach is needed. While treating 3 to 4 patients might prevent one detachment, meaningful prevention likely requires more extensive and denser treatment. Prospective evaluation of protocols defined by anatomical landmarks is warranted to establish the optimal technique and risk-benefit balance. Close monitoring remains essential allowing safer, more effective interventions.
DOI
10.1097/iae.0000000000004941
PMID
42530469
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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