SPONTANEOUS RESOLUTION OF RETINAL-DETACHMENT OCCURRING AFTER MACULAR HOLE SURGERY

Objective: To document the spontaneous resolution of retinal detachmen t developing after macular hole surgery. Methods: We identified all pa tients who developed a postoperative retinal detachment after undergoi ng macular hole surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, S t Louis, Mo; the surgery was performed by one of us (L.V.D.P.. or H.J. K.) between 1991 and 1996. Results: Six of 73 eyes developed a postope rative retinal detachment; the retinal detachment was inferior in all cases. Two eyes that had inferior retinal breaks underwent further sur gery to repair the retinal detachment. Retinal breaks could not be ide ntified in the other 4 eyes; the retinal detachment resolved without f urther surgery in all 4 of these eyes. Conclusion: The recognition tha t retinal detachment occurring after macular hole surgery can resolve without additional surgery may result in the avoidance of further surg ical intervention in some eyes.