Reading ability and retinal sensitivity after surgery for macular hole and macular pucker.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether reading ability and microperimetry improve as demonstrated for visual acuity after surgery for macular hole and macular pucker.


METHODS
Fifty-nine consecutive patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy for macular pucker (n = 41) or full-thickness macular holes (n = 18). Functional assessment was made at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery and included far visual acuity (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts), retinal sensitivity using the microperimeter (MP1, Nidek Technologies, Padova, Italy), and reading ability (MNRead charts).


RESULTS
An improvement was recorded both for macular holes and puckers not only for visual acuity, but also for reading acuity and mean central retinal sensitivity (P < 0.01 for the overall comparisons between baseline and follow-up values). Maximum reading speed was already good at baseline both for puckers and holes overall, and a significant mean improvement was recorded only in patients with macular hole at 6 and 12 months (P < 0.01). Although eyes with macular holes had worse baseline visual function compared with puckers (P < 0.01 for all measures of visual function except for reading speed), they recovered to similar levels thanks to greater improvement (P < 0.05 for the difference in improvement during follow-up between puckers and holes for all measures of visual function). No differences were found among indocyanine green or trypan blue staining compared with no staining for internal limiting membrane removal based on all outcome measures (P > 0.05 for the overall difference of visual function improvement during follow-up).


CONCLUSIONS
The improvement found for visual acuity after vitrectomy for macular hole and pucker also regards retinal sensitivity and reading ability for up to 12 months. This is reassuring concerning the benefits for the patients, and this shows that visual acuity is a valid functional measure for investigating the efficacy of macular surgery.
Cappello
Ezio
E
Eye Clinic, San Martino Hospital, Belluno, Italy. ezio.cappello@ulss.belluno.it
Virgili
Gianni
G
Tollot
Luigina
L
Del Borrello
Michele
M
Menchini
Ugo
U
Zemella
Marco
M
D000368:Aged; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011788:Quality of Life; D011932:Reading; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014343:Trypan Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods
D004396:Coloring Agents; D014343:Trypan Blue; D007208:Indocyanine Green