Macular hole surgery with internal-limiting membrane peeling and intravitreous air.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the results of macular hole surgery using pars plana vitrectomy, internal-limiting membrane peeling, and intravitreous air in a series of consecutive patients.


METHODS
A retrospective, interventional, noncomparative case series.


METHODS
Fifty consecutive patients (58 eyes) with full-thickness macular holes.


METHODS
All eyes underwent a pars plana vitrectomy with internal-limiting membrane peeling and intravitreous air, and patients were asked to position face-down for only 4 days.


METHODS
Status of macular holes, visual acuity, and associated findings and complications.


RESULTS
All patients had postsurgical follow-up of 6 months or greater. Eight eyes (14%) presented with stage-2 macular holes, 48 eyes (83%) with stage-3 macular holes, and 2 eyes (3%) with stage-4 macular holes. Only 26 eyes (45%) had a macular epiretinal membrane seen before surgery. Fifty-three (91 %) of the 58 macular holes were closed with 1 operation, and 55 (95%) had closure of the macular holes with subsequent operations. Five (9%) of 58 eyes had an initial visual acuity of 20/50 or better, and 31 eyes (53%) had a final visual acuity of 20/50 or better. Of the 45 eyes with symptoms of less than 6 months' duration, 44 (98%) had macular holes that were closed with 1 operation and 27 (60%) had a final visual acuity of 20/50 or better. Of the 13 eyes with symptoms of 6 months' duration or longer, 9 (69%) had macular holes that were closed with 1 operation and 4 (31 %) had a final visual acuity of 20/50 or better. Complications attributed to the operation included retinal tears, retinal detachments, postoperative macular puckers, and macular light toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
The anatomic and visual results in this series are good. The current technique is similar to that of conventional macular hole surgery except for the use of intravitreous air, internal-limiting membrane peeling in all eyes, and only 4 days of postoperative positioning. This study would suggest that peeling of the internal-limiting membrane is an important adjuvant for successful closure of macular holes.
Retinal Consultants of Arizona, Phoenix 85006, USA.
D W
DW
Park
J O
JO
Sipperley
S R
SR
Sneed
P U
PU
Dugel
J
J
Jacobsen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000388:Air; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000601:surgery; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011187:Posture; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body