Outcomes of macular hole surgery in patients treated intraoperatively for retinal breaks and/or lattice degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the outcome of macular hole surgery in patients treated intraoperatively for retinal breaks and/or lattice degeneration.


METHODS
Retrospective review of patients who underwent macular hole surgery from September 1998 to August 2005. Outcomes in eyes that received intraoperative endolaser photocoagulation for retinal breaks and/or lattice degeneration were compared to outcomes in a case-matched control group without retinal breaks or lattice degeneration.


RESULTS
A total of 235 consecutive macular hole surgery cases were reviewed. Twenty-four eyes from 24 patients received intraoperative endolaser photocoagulation for retinal breaks and/or lattice degeneration. Macular hole closure occurred in all case and control eyes without any incidence of postoperative retinal detachment. Best-corrected visual acuity improvement of at least three Snellen lines occurred in 100% of case eyes and 92% of control eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
Outcomes of macular hole surgery in patients with retinal breaks and/or lattice degeneration are similar to outcomes in the overall population when these conditions are treated with intraoperative endolaser photocoagulation. Postoperative retinal detachment does not appear to be correlated with treated retinal tears and greater attention should focus on detecting and managing intraoperative breaks. In our hands, routine use panoramic viewing has replaced indirect ophthalmoscopy, by saving time, and reducing the risk of contamination.
Edward Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA.
John
J
Hwang
Paulo
P
Escariao
Reza
R
Iranmanesh
Gian Marco
GM
Tosi
Stanley
S
Chang
D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000601:surgery*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy
D005466:Fluorocarbons; C048381:perfluoroethane