To evaluate the incidence of retinal choroidal collateral circulation after radial optic neurotomy (RON) with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) patients and to correlate these collaterals with changes in visual acuity.

We conducted a retrospective study of 17 eyes of 17 consecutive patients diagnosed with CRVO who underwent RON after a standard three port-vitrectomy. Fundus examination and, FAG were performed to evaluate the incidence of retinal choroidal collateral circulation according to preoperative best corrected visual acuity. We evaluated changes in best corrected visual acuity according to chorioretinal circulation formation.

Retinochoroidal shunts developed in 9 eyes (52.9%) at the site of radial optic neurotomy. The group whose initial visual acuity was better than 0.02 (72.7%) developed more shunts than the group whose initial visual acuity was under 0.02 (16.7%) ( P =0.043). Changes in visual acuity were highly correlated with the development of collaterals from the retinal to choroidal circulation ( P =0.008).

Patients whose that initial visual acuity is better than 0.02 have more retinal choroidal collaterals. Surgical induction of retinochoroidal venous anastomosis may result in visual acuity improvement. Randomized studies are needed to compare the current study modality with the natural course of central retinal vein occlusion.