Long-term surgical outcomes after vitrectomy for symptomatic lamellar macular holes

Abstract

Purpose: To determine long-term surgical findings and outcomes after vitrectomy for symptomatic lamellar macular holes.

Methods: This is a retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series. Sixteen patients (31 eyes) with lamellar macular holes and central visual loss participated in the study. All patients underwent 3-port pars plana vitrectomy with membranectomy and/or internal limiting membrane peeling and gas tamponade under the care of one author. Best-corrected visual acuity and optical coherence tomography appearance were determined preoperatively and postoperatively.

Results: Final visual acuity improved more than 2 lines postoperatively in 18 eyes (58.1%) and decreased in 2 eyes (6.5%) leading to a mean gain of 0.18 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity during the mean follow-up period of 39 ± 24 months (12-85 months). Twenty-eight eyes (90.3%) improved or normalized in foveal appearance on postoperative optical coherence tomography images of the macula, 1 eye remained unchanged, and 1 eye (3.2%) had chronic cystoid macular edema, 1 eye was unchanged, and 1 eye showed recurrence of lamellar macular hole.

Conclusion: In patients with central visual loss from lamellar macular holes, vitrectomy, membranectomy, and/or internal limiting membrane peeling and gas tamponade appear to have a beneficial effect for a mean of 3 years.