Outcomes of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Repair When Comparing Surgeon Continuity in a Team-Based Practice

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To facilitate timely surgery and efficient use of operating room time, our practice uses a team-based approach so patients may undergo primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery with a different surgeon instead of the diagnosing surgeon. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 331 eyes that underwent RRD surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: RRD surgery performed by the diagnosing surgon, and RRD surgery performed by a different surgeon. RESULTS: Of 331 eyes, 200 eyes (60.4%) were repaired by the diagnosing surgeon and 131 eyes (39.6%) were repaired by a different surgeon. Primary anatomic success (PAS) rates at 3 months postoperatively were equivalent between the two groups (87.0% and 87.8% in the diagnosing surgeon and different surgeon groups, respectively [ P = .83]). There was no significant difference in preoperative ( P = .08) or final ( P = .28) visual acuity between the groups. Time between diagnosis and RRD repair was shorter in the different surgeon group (median of 1.5 days [IQR: 1.0–3.6] in the surgeon group versus 2.2 days [IQR: 0.8–5.7] in the diagnosing surgeon group) ( P = .03). Logistic regression analysis gave no evidence to suggest that PAS rates depended on day of week, time of day surgery was performed, group, or the interaction between those factors ( P = .93). CONCLUSIONS: Visual and anatomic success in RRD repair are equivalent when surgery is performed by either the diagnosing surgeon or a surgical colleague because time to surgery is reduced. Neither time of day nor day of the week had any influence on the outcomes. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2021;52:560–566.]