Efficacy of vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane peeling in eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration

John O Mason 3rd; Shyam A Patel

doi:10.2147/OPTH.S94948

Efficacy of vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane peeling in eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration

Clin Ophthalmol. 2015 Oct 23:9:1999-2003. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S94948. eCollection 2015.

Authors

John O Mason 3rd¹, Shyam A Patel²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA ; Retina Consultants of Alabama, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, Birmingham, AL, USA.
² Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Abstract

Objective: To study the efficacy of epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling in eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patient charts on 17 eyes (16 patients) that underwent ERM peeling with a concurrent diagnosis of dry AMD.

Results: Eyes with concurrent dry AMD and with a good preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (better than or equal to 20/50) had a statistically significant mean BCVA improvement at 6 months after ERM peeling. There was a statistical increase in mean BCVA from 20/95 to 20/56 in dry AMD eyes, and no eyes showed worsening in BCVA at 6 months or at most recent follow-up. Five/seventeen (29.4%) eyes had cataract formation or progression. There were no other complications, reoperations, or reoccurrences.

Conclusion: ERM peeling in eyes with dry AMD may show significant improvement, especially in eyes with good preoperative BCVA. The procedure is relatively safe with low complications and reoccurrences.

Keywords: epimacular membrane; epiretinal membrane peeling; macular degeneration; macular pucker.