INTRODUCTIONMacular oedema is the main cause of visual impairment following retinal vein occlusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anatomical and functional outcome of pars plana vitrectomy and internal limited membrane (ILM) peeling for macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

CLINICAL PICTUREThis pilot study is a prospective nonrandomised series of 11 eyes of 11 patients with macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), foveal thickness on optical coherence tomography, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and multifocal electroretinography were evaluated.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOMEAll 11 patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling. The mean postoperative follow-up was 13.5 months (range, 1.5 to 24). The mean thickness at the foveal centre decreased from 794 +/- 276 microm preoperatively to 373 +/- 150 microm, 302 +/- 119 microm, 249 +/- 203 microm and 185 +/- 66 microm at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and the final visit postoperatively, respectively (all P <0.001, paired t- test, compared to preoperative thickness). Postoperative FFA demonstrated markedly reduced leakage in the macular region. At the final visit, BCVA improved 2 lines or more in 72.7% (8/11) of patients and was unchanged in 27.3% (3/11) patients. Complications included cataract in 7 patients and vitreous haemorrhage, recurrence of macular oedema and visual field defect in 1 case each.

CONCLUSIONPars plana vitrectomy and ILM peeling rapidly reduced the macular oedema caused by retinal vein occlusion, with improvement in BCVA.

Adult ; Aged ; Epiretinal Membrane ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Macular Edema ; etiology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pars Planitis ; pathology ; surgery ; Pilot Projects ; Prospective Studies ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; complications ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and predisposing factors of macular pucker formation after pars plana vitrectomy in patients who developed primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 284 eyes in 284 patients who underwent primary retinal detachment repair by pars plana vitrectomy alone between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. Patients with a history of retinal surgery or another visually significant ocular problem were excluded. RESULTS: Postoperatively, of the 264 eyes that completed at least six months of follow-up, 16 (6.1%) eyes developed obvious macular pucker at clinical examination. Of these 16 eyes, ten (70.0%) underwent repeat vitrectomy with membrane peeling for macular pucker removal during the follow-up period. The mean time from primary vitrectomy for the retinal reattachment to the secondary vitrectomy with membrane peeling for macular pucker was 7.9 months. The mean improvement in vision after membrane peeling surgery was 0.37 (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution). Using an independent t-test, chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U-test, we found that the number or size of retinal break and vitreous hemorrhage could be significant risk factors of macular pucker. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, 6.1% of eyes which underwent pars plana vitrectomy alone for primary retinal detachment developed a postoperative macular epiretinal membrane. Multiple or large retinal breaks and postoperative vitreous hemorrhage were related to macular pucker formation. Overall, the 70.0% of eyes which underwent secondary vitrectomy with membrane peeling for removal of macular pucker showed a favorable visual outcome.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Epiretinal Membrane/*pathology/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Reoperation ; Retinal Detachment/*surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy/*methods

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical course of visual acuity and foveal thickness in the idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) after a vitrectomy with the use of triamcinolone. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 30 patients (30 eyes) with ERM that were treated by vitrectomy from 2004 to 2008. Visual acuity and foveal thickness from optical coherence tomography imaging was obtained preoperatively and at every postoperative follow-up visit. RESULTS: Visual acuity improved by two or more lines of vision in 30%, 50%, 60%, and 70%, and stayed the same within +/-1 line in 47%, 50%, 40%, and 30% at one month, three months, five months, and seven months after surgery. Twenty-three percents of the subjects deteriorated by two or more lines of vision within one month after surgery. None of the subjects had reduced vision three months after surgery. Foveal thickness decreased significantly after surgery. The mean thickness was 409.7+/-107.9 microm before surgery and 288.6+/-66.1 microm seven months after surgery. Parameters which were significantly correlated with the final visual acuity included preoperative visual acuity (0.683), preoperative foveal thickness (0.544), and final foveal thickness (0.643) (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Foveal thickness and visual acuity improved until seven months after the vitrectomy in patients with idiopathic ERM. Preoperative visual acuity, foveal thickness, and final foveal thickness had a significant correlation with the final visual acuity.
Aged ; Epiretinal Membrane/pathology/*surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fovea Centralis/*pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy/*methods

OBJECTIVETo assess efficacy of membrane peeling combined with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in the treatment of macular epiretinal membrane.

METHODSFrom January, 2012 to June, 2013, 33 patients (33 eyes) with the diagnosis of macular epiretinal membrane underwent vitreous surgery and membrane peeling. The patients were randomly divided into intravitreal bevacizumab group (IVB group) and non-intravitreal bevacizumab group (non-IVB group). All the patients underwent standard three-port vitrectomy and peeling of epiretinal membrane, with intravitreal injection of 1.5 mg bevacizumab at the end of operation in IVB group. The best corrected visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were examined before and after the treatment. The patients were followed up for 3-14 months (mean 6.5 months).

RESULTSMacular epiretinal membranes were successfully peeled during operation in all the patients without postoperative intraocular infection or bleeding. Fifteen eyes received vitrectomy combined with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, and 18 underwent only vitreous operation and membrane peeling. At the end of the follow up, the visual acuity improved in 11 eyes (73.3%) in IVB group, as compared to 13 eyes (72.2%) in the non-IVB group (P=0.627). Central macular thickness decreased by 143∓62 µm in IVB group and by 96∓28 µm in non-IVB group, showing a significant difference between the two groups (t=5.564, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONVitrectomy and membrane peeling combined with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab can promote the recovery of macular morphology but not visual function, and its clinical use still needs to be tested in a long-term and large-sample randomized controlled study.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab ; Epiretinal Membrane ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Postoperative Complications ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Body ; surgery