ASRS 2025: An association of vitamin D insufficiency with proliferative vitreoretinopathy

Steven D. Ness, MD, an attending physician at the VA Boston Healthcare System and assistant professor at Boston University, presented a study examining the relationship between vitamin D levels and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) risk in retinal detachment surgery patients.

The study involved 313 patients who underwent surgical treatment for primary rhegmatogenous detachments, with serum vitamin D levels measured within 1 year of surgery. Of these patients, 42 developed PVR after their initial surgery. The patient population was notably homogeneous, comprising over 95% males and over 80% Caucasians.

Key findings revealed a significant correlation between low vitamin D levels and PVR risk. Patients with low vitamin D experienced over 4 times higher risk of developing PVR post surgery. Moreover, for each 1 ng/mL decrease in vitamin D levels, the PVR risk increased by 4%. These results were both statistically significant and potentially clinically meaningful. The research methodology was rigorous.

Researchers were able to conduct individual chart reviews to ensure data accuracy, specifically screening out patients with preexisting PVR and focusing on straightforward retinal detachment cases. This approach provided a cleaner dataset compared to typical database studies.

While acknowledging the study's limitations—primarily its narrow demographic—Ness highlighted the potential clinical implications. Vitamin D therapy represents a low-risk, low-cost intervention that could potentially reduce severe surgical complications and improve vision outcomes.

Future research plans include examining larger, more diverse patient populations to validate these initial findings. The goal is to determine whether the observed vitamin D-PVR relationship holds true across different demographic groups. The study's significance lies in being the first to demonstrate an association between vitamin D levels and PVR risk. Ness suggested that simple interventions like vitamin D supplementation or increased sunlight exposure might help mitigate surgical risks, offering a promising avenue for further investigation in ophthalmological care.