title: THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OPHTHALMOLOGISTS' NATIONAL OPHTHALMOLOGY DATABASE STUDY OF VITREORETINAL SURGERY: Report 4, Epiretinal Membrane.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report pragmatic outcomes from a database study of epiretinal membrane surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective anonymized clinical audit data from electronic medical records were pooled over 10 years into a national database, from 1,131 primary epiretinal membrane operations, by 69 surgeons, in 16 U.K. vitreoretinal units.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of 1,131 patients was 71.6 years. A pars plana vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane peel were combined with internal limiting membrane peel in 17.0% of operations, and cataract surgery in 49.9%. Use of general anesthesia declined from 94.1% in 2001 to 28.9% in 2010. One or more intraoperative complication occurred in 9.8% (8.1% excluding cataract surgery complications). The median preoperative logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity improved from 0.60 to 0.30 (Snellen 20/80-20/40) after a median follow-up of 7.0 months; 41.7% of eyes improved ≥0.30 logMAR units (approximately 2 Snellen's lines). The percentages of eyes undergoing subsequent surgery were 3.3%, 1.0%, 0.4%, and 0.8% for epiretinal membrane, retinal detachment, macular hole, and other vitreoretinal indications, respectively. Excluding pseudophakic eyes, 51.7%, 73.2%, and 76.2% of eyes underwent cataract surgery within 1 year, 2 year, and 3 years respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results may help vitreoretinal surgeons to benchmark their surgical outcomes, and patients to assess the risks and benefits of surgery.
authors.affiliation: *School of Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; †The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, National Ophthalmology Database, London, United Kingdom; ‡Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheltenham, United Kingdom; §Guy's and St. Thomas, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; and ¶Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Paul H J
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Donachie
authors.forename: Tom H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sparrow
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057586:Vitreoretinal Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*