Risk factors for retinal breaks following surgical induction of posterior vitreous detachment: A scoping review

Surgical induction of posterior vitreous detachment (IPVD) is a well-known risk factor for retinal breaks (RB) during vitrectomy; however, risk factors for breaks in the subgroup of eyes requiring IPVD are poorly characterised. We summarize and explore existing literature on demographic, clinical, and operative risk factors for RB in eyes that require IPVD. We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases (PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar) in August, 2024. We included English-language meta-analyses, randomised control trials, and observational studies or series that reported data addressing risk factors for retinal breaks during surgical IPVD. Case reports, conference abstracts, and pharmacological IPVD were excluded. A total of 10 studies were included, comprising observational studies (n = 4) and case series (n = 6). Risk factors identified in existing literature included age, surgical indication and gauge size. Younger age was associated with higher RB risk during IPVD (OR 0.959, 95 % CI 0.924, 0.996, p = 0.028). Surgical indication findings were conflicting, suggesting either macular hole or epiretinal membrane surgery may increase the rate of RB. Gauge size had no consistent impact on RB rates. Weak evidence exists that 20-G may increase RB rate compared to 23-G (23 G 3.1 % vs 20-G 15.8 %, p = 0.0234). The wide range in IPVD-related RB reflects highly heterogenous study designs, differences in IPVD induction technique, and failure to discriminate between IPVD-related and sclerotomy-related breaks. There remains no large-scale studies or meta-analyses exploring risk factors for RB during IPVD. Younger age is a risk factor for RB in IPVD. The impact of gauge size and surgical indication is conflicting in existing literature, and claims are supported by weak evidence. There is a lack of exploration of risk factors for RB during IPVD in existing literature. Further exploration of patient and operative risk factors is needed and may impact risk counselling and surgical approaches for eyes requiring IPVD.