Early Foveal Recovery after Macular Hole Surgery

¹ Eye Clinic Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
² Medical University Vienna, Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Austria

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: christian.pruente{at}meduniwien.ac.at.

Accepted 20 January 2008

	Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate morphologic and functional recovery after macular hole surgery using pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), inner limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, air-tamponade, and short-time limited face-down positioning.

DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional, non-comparative consecutive case series.

PATIENTS: Thirty eyes in 30 patients with unilateral full-thickness macular hole (stage II-IV).

INTERVENTION: All eyes underwent PPV, ILM peeling and fluid-air exchange followed by postoperative face-down positioning for two days.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT) assessment of macular integrity, and biomicroscopy at days 3, 7 and months 1, 3, 6 and 12.

RESULTS: On postoperative day 3, OCT demonstrated macular hole closure in 28 eyes (93%). One eye required vitrectomy seven weeks after initial surgery due to retinal de-tachment.

CONCLUSIONS: In the present case series, PPV with trypan blue-assisted ILM peeling, short acting internal tamponade and thus shorter face-down positioning was associated with a 93% macular hole closure rate.