title: Long-term follow-up of macular translocation with 360 degrees retinotomy for exudative age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess long-term functional and morphological changes after macular translocation in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of a noncomparative cohort study of 90 patients with a follow-up of 14 to 79 months (mean, 38.2 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Visual acuity increased by 3 or more lines in 15 patients, remained stable in 35 patients, and deteriorated in 40 patients at final examination. Pigment epithelium atrophy extending to the new fovea was detected in 44 patients; in 25 patients this new atrophy was associated with loss of visual function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term follow-up of macular translocation with 360 degrees retinotomy showed stabilization or improvement in half of the patients. Progressive atrophy of the pigment epithelium represented one major limiting factor of the beneficial effect of the treatment. Macular translocation may be an option for cases of exudative age-related macular degeneration that are not eligible for or do not respond to alternative treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Schleichstrasse 12-16, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. sabine.aisenbrey@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aisenbrey
authors.forename: Karl Ulrich
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Bartz-Schmidt
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Ralf Dieter
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hilgers
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayertey
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szurman
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thumann
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology