Surgical treatment of retinal detachment owing to macular hole

Retinal detachments owing to macular hole have a low prevalence and occur predominantly in myopic eyes. The choice of surgical technique is primarily based on the axial length of the globe and on the presence or absence of a posterior staphyloma and/or chorioretinal degenerations. Whereas patients with low myopia and no posterior staphyloma are best treated with primary pars plana vitrectomy and air tamponade, patients with marked myopia and large posterior staphylomas should be managed by combining a pars plana vitrectomy with laser photocoagulation of the macular hole rim under perfluorocarbon liquids and a temporary silicone oil tamponade. For the intermediate myopias the surgical technique has to be decided from patient to patient.