EFFECT OF MACULAR EDEMA ON SURGICAL VISUAL OUTCOME IDIOPATHIC EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE IN EYES WITH

Objective: To determine whether macular edema affects the surgical out come in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Design: Case series. Setting: University-based referral practice in Vancouver. Patients: S ixty-one patients (63 eyes) (37 women and 24 men ranging in age from 4 7 to 96 [mean 70] years) who underwent pars plana vitrectomy with memb rane peeling for idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Outcome measures: Deg ree of macular edema on preoperative fluorescein angiograms (none, mil d or severe), as rated independently by two masked observers, and preo perative and postoperative Snellen visual acuity. Results: Of the 63 e yes 32 had no macular edema, 21 had mild edema, and 10 had severe edem a. Fifty-two eyes (83%) had an improvement in visual acuity, The mean number of lines of improvement in visual acuity for the three groups w as 2.2, 3.7 and 2.6 respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that the factor with the greatest adverse effect on visual outcome was intraoperative macular hole formation. The presence of macular edema preoperatively did not significantly affect visual outcome. Conclusion s: Our results suggest that even eyes with significant macular edema s econdary to idiopathic epiretinal membranes may benefit from vitrectom y with membrane peeling.