Results of surgical treatment of recurrent macular holes

    Purpose. Analysis of the functional and anatomical results of surgical treatment of recurrent idiopathic macular holes (IMH) using the method of approaching the edges of the gap and repeated silicone tamponade.

    Material and methods. The results of surgical treatment of 8 patients (8 eyes) with recurrent IMH were analyzed. In all patients, it corresponded to stages 3–4. The duration of the disease varied from 6 months to 1 year. In all cases of IMH relapses, repeated surgical treatment was performed 1 month after the primary operation. The silicone was removed and the edges of the rupture were again brought together by passive aspiration followed by tamponade with silicone 5700. The silicone was removed 1–2 months after repeated surgical treatment.

    Results. After repeated surgical treatment, in 7 out of 8 cases, complete closure of the macular hole was noted on the first day. In one case, the gap did not close and the disease was combined with age-related macular degeneration. In 7 cases, a positive functional result was achieved in the form of an increase in visual acuity up to 0.15 ± 0.14. In one patient, visual acuity remained unchanged.

    Conclusion. Thus, the re-approach of the edges of the macular hole followed by silicone tamponade in the treatment of recurrent IMH made it possible to achieve complete closure of the hole in 7 out of 8 patients, which was 87 %.

    Keywords: macular rupture, vitrectomy, method of approaching the edges of the rupture, repeated silicone tamponade, visometry indices, optical coherence tomography.