Outpatient visits and secondary surgeries following open globe injuries: a single institution retrospective analysis

Open globe injuries (OGIs) impose a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. This study reports outpatient visits and secondary surgeries associated with OGIs METHODS: A retrospective chart review of OGI repairs at a Level 1 Trauma Center from 2015-2023 was conducted. Two areas of resource utilization, outpatient office visits and secondary surgeries required within a year of the injury were recorded and predictors were identified RESULTS: Of 619 patients (mean age 46±22 years; 76.7% male), most had OGIs from blunt traumatic etiology (57.0%) with injury in zone I (65.9%). On average, patients had 5.3±4.7 office visits, where 8% of patients had no follow-up, 76% had 1-9 visits, and 16% had 10 or more visits. Thirty-five percent required at least one secondary surgery (mean 0.5±0.8). Clinical factors, including presenting best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), predicted utilization. Predictors for office visits included injury zone (p=0.02), retinal detachment (p<0.001), vitreous hemorrhage (p=0.014), and traumatic cataract (p=0.011). Retinal detachment (p<0.001), and traumatic cataract (p<0.001) were predictive of secondary surgeries. The most common surgeries were pars plana vitrectomy (n=124), cataract extraction (n=46), enucleation (n=33), and corneal transplant (n=21) CONCLUSION: OGI management often requires additional procedures with significant follow-up. Overall trends suggest greater utilization among eyes with significant injury that still maintain potential for visual recovery.