[Visual quality of life after vitreoretinal surgery for epiretinal membranes].
OBJECTIVE
To date, the increase of visual acuity and morphological parameters have been used to assess the benefit of a surgical intervention. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate changes in patients' visual quality of life due to vitreoretinal surgery for epiretinal membranes.


METHODS
Twenty patients with unilateral epiretinal membrane and good visual acuity of the fellow eye were included. Best corrected visual acuity and visual quality of life assessed by the visual function index (VF-14) were obtained preoperatively and 3 months after pars plana vitrectomy and peeling.


RESULTS
Median visual acuity increased from 0.28 to 0.4 postoperatively. Visual quality of life (VF-14 values) rose from 72.8+/-4.7 (SEM) to 83.3+/-2.9 (p<0.05). Analysis revealed that patients with preoperatively low VF-14 values and preoperatively low visual acuity notably profited from surgery. The increase of visual quality of life can be predicted better than increase of visual acuity. Combined cataract surgery had no significant influence.


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to best corrected visual acuity, quality of life measurements are important predictive and outcome parameters to estimate the value of vitreoretinal surgery.
Hirneiss
C
C
Augenklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München. Christoph.Hirneiss@med.uni-muenchen.de
Rombold
F
F
Kampik
A
A
Neubauer
A S
AS
D000368:Aged; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014821:Vitrectomy