Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling In Surgical Treatment of Macular Epiretinal Membrane

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the additional effect of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane (ERM) who underwent ERM removal without ILM peeling. METHODS: The subjects were those patients with idiopathic macular ERM who underwent pars plana vitrectomy, whose ERM was completely removed without peeling of the ILM. Additional ILM peeling was carried out randomly in some patients. Anatomical outcomes, functional results, recurrence, and complications were compared between the eyes with and without ILM peeling. Anatomical outcome included the macular thickness from optical coherence tomography (OCT). Functional results included the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the responses from multifocal electroretinograms (mfERG). RESULTS: Postoperative BCVA improved and macular thickness decreased in both groups but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. There was no recurred case in either group. Furthermore, in comparison of P1 amplitudes and peak times in mfERG, there were no differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The additional ILM peeling in patients with complete ERM removal without ILM peeling doesn't affect the postoperative results in visual acuity, macular thickness, recurrence, and complications.