Objective: To assess the efficacy in patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for the treatment of idiopathic macular hole (IMH).
Methods: Retrospective observational case series. Retrospective analysis of vitrectomy for IMH patients treated between January 2001 and January 2008 was performed. The statistical software SPSS10.0 were used to analyze the data such as surgical technique, closure rate, BCVA, hole size and stage etc. The variables in normal distribution were compared by independent sample t-tests, the qualitative data were compared by R x C table, and the ordered data were compared by nonparametric tests.
Results: Fifty eight eyes of 57 patients underwent vitrectomy with gas (10% C(3)F(8)) injection. Primary closure was achieved in 44 eyes (75.9%) with an average hole size of 0.20 mm(2) (0.01 - 0.85 mm(2)), whereas the size in the remaining 14 eyes was 0.69 mm(2) (0.08 - 3.16 mm(2)). The closure rate of the 36 eyes treated with ILM peeling was 80.6% (29/36), and decreased visual acuity was not observed in 72.2% of them (26/36). The closure rate of the 22 eyes without ILM peeling was 68.2% (15/22), and decreased visual acuity was not observed in 59.1% of them (13/22). There was a significant difference in the size and the change of BCVA between the closed cases and the unclosed cases, and no other factors had significant effect on the BCVA.
Conclusions: Vitrectomy was evaluated as an useful treatment for IMH. ILM peeling in vitrectomy could not improve the closure rate and the visual outcomes. Preoperative hole size may be a sensitive predictor for postoperative closure.