A network meta-analysis compared different treatments for patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) related to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). The study looked at oral retinoic acid, oral prednisolone, and intravitreal dexamethasone compared to a placebo. The main goal was to see how well these treatments helped reattach the retina after surgery.
The results showed that oral retinoic acid was linked to a much higher chance of successful retinal reattachment compared to a placebo. Patients taking this medication also had a lower chance of needing another operation for retinal detachment. Visual acuity improved with oral retinoic acid, and the risk of a postoperative macular pucker was also lower.
Another finding was that oral prednisolone was associated with a lower chance of PVR recurrence compared to a placebo. Intravitreal dexamethasone also helped reduce the need for reoperation. However, the strong results for oral retinoic acid were based on a single small study, which limits how confident we can be in these findings.
Overall, the study suggests that oral retinoic acid could be a helpful addition to surgery for these eye conditions. More research is needed to confirm these results and understand the best way to use these treatments.
