Outcomes of macular hole surgery in severely myopic eyes: a case-control study

To evaluate the outcomes of macular hole surgery in highly myopic eyes and to compare these outcomes with a control group of eyes that were not severely myopic.

The study design was a matched, case-control, retrospective chart review. The participants included 26 eyes of 24 patients who had vitreous surgery for macular holes. The eyes were divided into two groups: 13 consecutive eyes with severe myopia (defined as -6.00 diopters of refractive error or greater) and 13 control eyes without severe myopia that were operated on immediately before or after each study eye, with the most recently operated eye chosen. The main outcome parameters were preoperative and final follow-up visual acuity, macular hole closure rates, reoperation rates, duration of preoperative symptoms, and follow-up time.

Using the Snellen equivalent of logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) units, visual acuity improved after macular hole surgery in severely myopic eyes from 20/152 to 20/89 (P =.041) and in control eyes from 20/152 to 20/47 (P <.001). At final follow-up, visual acuities were lower in severely myopic eyes compared with control eyes (P =.048). Macular hole closure rates, reoperation rates, duration of pre-operative symptoms, and follow-up intervals were not significantly different statistically between groups.

Macular hole surgery results in anatomical and visual improvements in severely myopic eyes but generally yields poorer visual acuity outcomes compared with eyes that are not severely myopic.