Management of macular pucker

ABSTRACT

To document the outcome of macular pucker surgery in terms of improvement of visual acuity. Design: Interventional quasi experimental study. Setting: Ophthalmology Department, Civil Hospital, Karachi. Patients and Twenty-two patients with macular pucker underwent surgical repair. Pars plana posterior vitrectomy with epiretinal membrane peeling and internal limiting membrane peeling [maculorrhexis] was carried out. Postoperative follow-up was done for one year. Main outcome measure were visual acuity, causes and ocular complications. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version-10. Non-parametric sign test with chi-square statistic was used to compare the pre-operative and postoperative outcome. The macular pucker was successfully removed in 18 patients that revealed high statistical significance regarding improvement in visual acuity. Earlier, significant improvement [18 / 22 cases] was observed at three-month postoperative examination [p < 0.0001]. Insignificant [9/22] postoperative complications were noted at six-month postoperative follow-up. Metamorphopsia was relieved in 18 patients. Ten patients developed cataract, 4 patients developed increased intra-ocular pressure [transient] and two patients developed retinal detachment. Pars plana posterior vitrectomy with epiretinal membrane peeling and internal limiting membrane peeling [maculorrhexis] can successfully remove macular pucker, improve vision and relieve metamorphopsia