Results of submacular surgery to remove diabetic submacular hard exudates.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate outcomes of submacular surgery to remove massive submacular hard exudates with diabetic macular edema.


METHODS
Retrospective, non-comparative, interventional consecutive case series.


METHODS
Fifty-six eyes of 40 patients with massive submacular hard exudates with diabetic macular edema.


METHODS
Submacular surgery was performed to remove massive submacular hard exudates.


METHODS
Preoperative and postoperative visual acuities and clinical findings. All patients were followed for more than 1 year postoperatively.


RESULTS
The macular hard exudates underlying the fovea almost disappeared, and macular edema remarkably reduced following surgery. Visual acuities ranged from 0.01 to 0.3 before surgery, and from 0.04 to 1.0 after surgery. Visual acuity improved by two lines or more in 45 eyes (80.4%), remained unchanged in 8 eyes (14.3%) and worsened in 3 eyes (5.3%). Visual acuity improved to 0.3 or more in 24 eyes (42.9%). Better postoperative visual acuity (0.3 or better) was related to hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and the size of hard exudates.


CONCLUSIONS
Results showed the efficacy of submacular surgery to remove massive hard exudates with diabetic macular edema, and outcomes were satisfactory.
Naito
Takeshi
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Matsushita
Shingo
S
Sato
Hiroyuki
H
Katome
Takashi
T
Nagasawa
Toshihiko
T
Shiota
Hiroshi
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin