The records for a group of 2,054 patients who had undergone surgery fur rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with macular involvement were analyzed to ascertain the relative influence of the following five specific factors on postoperative visual acuity: (1) patient age, (2) degree of preoperative macular elevation, (3) duration of preoperative macular detachment, (4) extent of retinal detachment, and (5) drainage of subretinal fluid. Increasing patient age, increasing preoperative macular elevation, increasing duration of macular detachment, and increasing extent of retinal detachment were all found to be associated in general with decreasing postoperative visual acuity. Drainage, or nondrainage, or subretinal fluid appeared to be unassociated with postoperative visual acuity.