Purpose: To assess the anatomical result after primary macular hole surgery with or without internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. To assess the safety and stability results;
Methods: Prospective, comparative, interventional case study of 47 eyes with stage 3 or 4 macular hole treated by pars-plana vitrectomy between 2006 and 2011. In 19 cases (40.42%) only posterior hyaloid was removed (control group) while in the other 28 cases (59.57%) additional ILM peeling was performed. All cases had gas endotamponade. Postoperatively the cases were followed-up at least 6 months clinically and by OCT. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Wilcoxon tests.
Results: The mean age of patients in the study was 54, 47 +/- 4, 83 years (ranging from 47 to 74 years). In 36 cases (76.59%) the macular hole was idiopathic. After surgery, the macular hole closed in 22 out of 28 cases with ILM peeling (78.57%) as compared to only 13 out of 19 cases from the control group (68.42%). No intraoperative complications were noted. Main postoperative complications were cataract augmentation and macular hole enlargement in 4 out of 12 failed cases (33.33%). No recurrence was noted if macular hole closed after surgery.
Conclusions: These results confirm the stability, safety and efficacy of both techniques but with a significant higher success rate if ILM is peeled. The main postoperative complication was macular hole enlargement if surgery failed.