Treatment of myopic macular hole and detachment. Intravitreal gas exchange.

Exchanging liquid vitreous with an intravitreal gas bubble was used to treat 19 eyes with retinal detachment caused by myopic macular holes. Twelve retinas were successfully reattached with one exchange, one with a repeated exchange, and three with subsequent conventional pars plana vitrectomy techniques. The procedure was unsuccessful in three patients: two refused additional exchanges or surgery and proliferative vitreoretinopathy developed in one and the retina could not be successfully reattached despite pars plana vitrectomy. Visual improvement 6 months after exchange was limited due to myopic macular degeneration, but a visual acuity of 20/400 was obtained in nine patients and finger counting vision in nine. The eye with proliferative vitreoretinopathy deteriorated to light perception.