title: Epiretinal membrane surgery evaluated by subjective outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine pre- and postoperative visual interference, subjective symptoms and visual acuity in patients undergoing epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective observational case series comparing 239 eyes in 231 consecutive patients with idiopathic ERM in a selected catchment area from 2002 to 2009. Demography, visual acuity (VA), lens status and subjective symptoms were analysed before and after the operation. Patients, healthy enough to participate at least 2 years post surgery, answered a questionnaire about their subjective functional impairment before and after the ERM peeling. Visual disturbance was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 1 to 100 mm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative VA for the eyes in the study was median 0.40 logMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) (range -0.1 to 1.22) resulted in VA of 0.22 logMAR (range -0.1 to 1.1), which is a statistical significant difference (p -). Of 180 patients contacted, answers were received from 103 (57%). Subjective visual disturbance assessed on the VAS showed a median of 70 mm (range 0-100) before surgery compared to a subjective disturbance median 27 mm (range 0-98) postoperatively. The change preoperatively to postoperatively was mean -34 mm (SD 31), median -37 (range -96 to 37), p -. Patients with much disturbance at baseline measured by VAS experienced more subjective benefit of the operation measured by the distance between the mark on the VAS preoperatively and postoperatively, p -, Spearman correlation coefficient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with considerable preoperative disturbance benefit more from an operation than those with less disturbance.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, Uddevalla Hospital, Uddevalla, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ionas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miliatos
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindgren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D014821:Vitrectomy
keywords: epiretinal membrane; outcome; surgery; visual analogue scale