Treatment of Chronic Large and Persistent Macular Hole by a new technique in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the anatomical and functional outcomes of treating chronic persistent large macular hole by macular hole hydrodissection technique in a tertiary eye care hospital.

METHODS

This interventional case series study was conducted in the Vitreoretinal department of LRBT Tertiary Teaching Eye Hospital, Karachi, from October 2017 to March 2018, with follow-ups till February 2019. The study included eighteen cases of chronic (symptoms of loss of central vision ≥ 2years), persistent (previously failed macular hole surgery), large (aperture diameter of ≥ 400µm) macular hole. Out of the eighteen patients, eight (44.4%) were males and ten (55.6%) were females. All operated patients underwent macular hole hydrodissection by balanced salt solution using a silicone soft tip extrusion cannula. Patients were followed up post operatively to assess post-operative complications and surgical results.

RESULTS

Among eighteen patients with a mean aperture diameter of 477.1±102.9 µm and basal diameter of 849.4± 92.6µm, complete anatomical closure was achieved in sixteen (88.8%). Five (27.7%) out of the eighteen patients achieved best corrected visual acuity improvement of 6/36, whereas seven (38.8%) patients reached up to a BCVA of 6/60, with maximum improvement of two lines. The mean post-operative follow-up was 332.3± 46.7 days.

CONCLUSION

Macular hole hydrodissection is a relatively new emerging technique with promising results for the closure of chronic persistent large macular hole.