title: Reading ability and retinal sensitivity after surgery for macular hole and macular pucker.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, San Martino Hospital, Belluno, Italy. ezio.cappello@ulss.belluno.it
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virgili
authors.forename: Luigina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tollot
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Borrello
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Menchini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zemella
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D014343:Trypan Blue; D007208:Indocyanine Green