Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic factors for development of gliosis after idiopathic macular hole (IMH) surgery and its relationship to functional and anatomical success.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with IMH that underwent pars plana vitrectomy using internal limiting membrane flap technique. Optical coherence tomography examinations were done at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative parameters on optical coherence tomography included hole closure, outer retinal layers continuity, and development of gliosis.

Results: Sixty-five patients with IMH were included in the study. Forty-three underwent temporal flap and 22 an inverted flap 360° around the hole. Gliosis was present at 8 (12.3%) eyes at 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Patients with gliosis at 6 months had larger minimal hole diameter at presentation (622 µ m ± 140 vs. 423 ± 178, P = 0.004). Gliosis was associated with worse best-corrected visual acuity at presentation (0.86± 0.49 logMAR [20/145] vs. 0.43 ± 0.37 [20/54], P = 0.008) and 1 month postoperatively (0.91 ± 0.59 logMAR [20/160] vs. 0.42 ± 0.48 [20/53], P = 0.013) but not at 6 months postoperatively (0.55 ± 0.31 logMAR [20/70] vs. 0.43 ± 0.33 [20/54], P = 0.222).

Conclusion: Our study supports the use of inverted internal limiting membrane flap for IMH as a primary procedure. No gliosis was shown in small macular holes undergoing this technique. Even in large IMH where gliosis has developed, an improvement in visual acuity was shown after surgery.