BILATERAL VISUAL FUNCTION AFTER MACULAR HOLE SURGERY

Purpose: In this study, the authors apply objective measures of bilate ral visual function to investigate the benefits of macular hole surger y to overall visual function. Methods: Anatomic and visual acuity outc omes were reviewed for patients undergoing primary macular hole surger y at one institution during a 3-year period. Several measures of bilat eral visual function were defined to determine the impact of surgery o n bilateral visual function. Patient data were analyzed in two separat e cohorts based on whether the fellow eye was normal (visual acuity gr eater than or equal to 20/40, fellow eye normal group) or abnormal (vi sual acuity < 20/40, fellow eye abnormal group) at baseline to determi ne the effect on visual function improvement. Results: The rim of subr etinal fluid resolved after surgery in 85% of patients and 82% gained two or more Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study lines of visual acuity. After surgery, visual acuity in the surgical eye was better t han or equal to the fellow eye in 35%, and average visual impairment a ccording to the American Medical Association Guidelines for Disability decreased from 29% to 17%. Among the FEA group, vision in the surgica l eye was better than or to equal to that of the fellow eye in 70%, an d visual impairment was reduced from 52% to 35%. Conclusion: Bilateral visual function was improved after macular hole surgery. The improvem ent rate was markedly better in patients with subnormal vision in the fellow eye.