Metamorphopsia before and after full-thickness macular hole surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Surgery
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Metamorphopsia, a visual distortion, is a common symptom in patients with full-thickness macular holes.
• Assessing and quantifying metamorphopsia changes after surgical repair is crucial for understanding visual recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the degree and dynamics of metamorphopsia changes following full-thickness macular hole surgery.
• To evaluate the relationship between metamorphopsia severity, visual acuity, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters.

Main Methods:

• A prospective interventional case series involving 10 patients undergoing 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for full-thickness macular holes.
• Metamorphopsia severity was measured using M-CHARTS (M-score), with assessments at baseline, one, three, and six months postoperatively.
• Optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were also evaluated.

Main Results:

• A significant decrease in M-score was observed one month postoperatively, with scores stabilizing by three months.
• Baseline M-score strongly correlated with postoperative M-scores at all follow-up points.
• M-score did not correlate with macular hole dimensions, BCVA, or OCT parameters like central foveal thickness or volume.

Conclusions:

• Metamorphopsia improves significantly within one month after successful full-thickness macular hole surgery and remains stable thereafter.
• The baseline M-score is a reliable prognostic indicator for postoperative metamorphopsia severity.
• Metamorphopsia assessment provides valuable information independent of BCVA and macular hole dimensions.