Purpose: To evaluate repeated surgery for idiopathic full-thickness macular hole that failed to close (FTC) after first surgery or reopened (RO) once originally closed.
Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Pubmed.gov and Cochrane Library were searched for studies in English presenting outcomes of idiopathic full-thickness macular hole that FTC or RO (case reports/series of <5 cases excluded).
Outcome measures: Anatomical closure, postoperative best-corrected visual acuity, intraoperative/postoperative complications, and patient-reported outcomes. Meta-analysis was performed on aggregate and available individual participant data sets using the metafor package in R.
Results: Twenty-eight eligible studies were identified. After reoperation, pooled estimates for anatomical closure were 78% (95% confidence interval 71-84%) and 80% (95% confidence interval 66-89%) for FTC and RO groups, respectively. On average, best-corrected visual acuity improved in both groups. However, only 15% (28 of 189 eyes) of FTC eyes achieved best-corrected visual acuity of ≥6/12. The pooled estimated probability of ≥2-line best-corrected visual acuity improvement was 58% in the FTC group (95% confidence interval 45-71%); meta-analysis was not possible in the RO group. The most common complication was cataract.
Conclusion: Reoperation for FTC or RO idiopathic full-thickness macular hole achieved a clinically meaningful visual acuity improvement in more than half of patients; high levels of vision (≥6/12), however, were uncommon.