[Preretinal membrane in the macular area before and after the scleral buckling procedure]

In 100 consecutive eyes with successful repair for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, a prospective study was performed for preretinal membranes in the macular area by assessing before and after scleral buckling surgery. The preoperative prevalence of the preretinal membrane was 23% in the eyes with macula-on detachment, although not feasible in the eyes with preoperative macula-off. After surgery, preretinal membranes were revealed in 59%, and macular puckers associated with retinal distortion were observed in 9%. Approximately half of the eyes without a preretinal membrane before surgery developed a postoperative preretinal membrane, suggesting that the preoperative preretinal membrane, which has been considered to be a remnant of the vitreous cortex, was not always necessary for the development of postoperative preretinal membrane.