Prediction of the Expected Extent of Surgical Difficulty When Removing an Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#We sought to predict how difficult surgical removal of an epiretinal membrane (ERM) might be by analyzing the preoperative characteristics of the ERM. @*Methods@#From 2016 to 2020, 75 patients diagnosed with idiopathic ERMs who underwent ERM removal were evaluated in terms of surgical time (via video analysis); associations between that time and preoperative color fundus photographs and optical coherence tomography findings were sought. @*Results@#The surgical time was associated with the vascular tortuosity grade, the ERM stage, and fibrillary changes (p = 0.024, p = 0.020, and p = 0.018). Dummy regression analysis showed that EMR stage 4, and vascular tortuosity grades of 2 or 3, increased the surgical time (p = 0.036, p = 0.049). @*Conclusions@#Surgery may be difficult if the ERM is of stage 4 or the vascular tortuosity grade 2 or more. A retinal surgery novice should consider these factors when contemplating surgery.