Purpose: We assessed whether ocriplasmin (OCP) given to patients with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) results in an altered plane of vitreoretinal (VR) separation compared to patients without OCP exposure.
Methods: A prospective study was done of 12 patients with IMH and vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) given OCP. Patients in whom the IMH failed to close underwent vitrectomy with peeling of the internal limiting membrane (ILM). The intraoperative staining pattern of the ILM using Brilliant Blue G (BBG) and examination of the excised ILM with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were compared to results of a matched cohort of 31 patients with IMH who had not received OCP.
Results: Among 12 patients treated with OCP, VMA release occurred in 7 (58%) and hole closure was achieved in 3 (25%). Vitrectomy was done on the nine patients without hole closure. In seven of these nine (78%) the ILM had less than 5% of its vitreous surface covered in residual material on TEM, which was significantly less than in the control group (5/31, 16%, P = 0.001). In two OCP patients, large amounts of vitreous side material were present, but the rim of the hole stained evenly with BBG, suggesting that epiretinal material had avulsed with VR separation, a pattern not seen in any of the control patients. All patients had IMH closure after vitrectomy and visual results were not significantly different from the control group.
Conclusions: Ocriplasmin facilitates more complete VR separation in patients undergoing surgery for IMH, although it does not result in more eccentric epiretinal tissue release.