Oral curcumin to reduce risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy following rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes of patients who underwent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair and were started on oral curcumin for proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) prevention. Methods: Retrospective, observational case series of eyes of patients undergoing high-risk RRD repair that were started on curcumin postoperatively. Recommended dosing was 500 mg twice daily for 30 days followed by 500 mg daily for 60 days. The primary outcome was recurrent PVR-related RRD within 6 months and single-surgery retinal reattachment rate (SSRRR). Secondary outcomes included epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation, visual acuity, and curcumin safety profile. Results: 32 eyes of 31 patients met study inclusion criteria. Postoperatively, 2 eyes developed a PVR-related detachment (6.3%), and 2 eyes redetached due to new breaks without PVR (6.3%). Overall, SSRRR was 87.5%. SSRRR without silicone oil was 92.6% (25/27). Of the 12 cases with Grade C PVR-related RD, the SSRRR was 91.7%. Postoperatively, 7 eyes developed an ERM (21.9%), of which 3 underwent ERM removal (9.4%). No patient had gastrointestinal upset or anemia. Conclusions: This proof-of-concept clinical study suggests that oral curcumin is well tolerated and warrants further investigation for its potential to reduce the risk of PVR after RRD repair in eyes at higher risk of PVR.