title: Efficacy of vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane peeling in eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the efficacy of epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling in eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed patient charts on 17 eyes (16 patients) that underwent ERM peeling with a concurrent diagnosis of dry AMD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eyes with concurrent dry AMD and with a good preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (better than or equal to 20/50) had a statistically significant mean BCVA improvement at 6 months after ERM peeling. There was a statistical increase in mean BCVA from 20/95 to 20/56 in dry AMD eyes, and no eyes showed worsening in BCVA at 6 months or at most recent follow-up. Five/seventeen (29.4%) eyes had cataract formation or progression. There were no other complications, reoperations, or reoccurrences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERM peeling in eyes with dry AMD may show significant improvement, especially in eyes with good preoperative BCVA. The procedure is relatively safe with low complications and reoccurrences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA ; Retina Consultants of Alabama, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: John O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Shyam A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Patel
keywords: epimacular membrane; epiretinal membrane peeling; macular degeneration; macular pucker