Purpose: To compare the effectiveness, efficiency and complications of three different surgical techniques employed for the treatment of macular holes between 1998 -2004 in our health care centre.
Methods: A retrospective, comparative, and non-randomized study of 131 eyes with macular holes, stage III and IV, treated with three different surgical techniques was performed. Vitrectomy was performed in 25 eyes (group 1). Vitrectomy was associated with internal limiting membrane peeling in 19 eyes (group 2), and in the remaining 87 eyes, the peeling of the retinal internal limiting membrane was assisted with indocyanine green (ICG) (group 3). The concentrations of ICG used were 5%, 2.5% and 0.5%. We compared the anatomic and functional results, and the complications which occurred.
Results: The overall anatomic success rate was 88.4% (114 eyes), and it was higher in group 3 (90.6%). A visual acuity improvement was achieved in 63.6% of eyes; however there were no significant differences between the groups studied. The most important complications included cataracts (51.9%), increase in intra-ocular pressure (37.2%), retinal detachment (7.8%) and retinal pigment epithelial changes (7%). These pigment epithelial changes were associated with the use of ICG-assisted peeling (p<0.05), but there was no correlation between the changes and the concentration of ICG employed. The hole size had an inverse correlation with initial and final visual acuity. An epi-retinal membrane was associated with better visual acuities and higher anatomic success.
Conclusions: In our experience, the use of ICG-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling in macular hole surgery improves the anatomic success, but may lead to retinal pigment epithelial changes.