Epiretinal membrane surgery evaluated by subjective outcome

To examine pre- and postoperative visual interference, subjective symptoms and visual acuity in patients undergoing epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery.

A retrospective observational case series comparing 239 eyes in 231 consecutive patients with idiopathic ERM in a selected catchment area from 2002 to 2009. Demography, visual acuity (VA), lens status and subjective symptoms were analysed before and after the operation. Patients, healthy enough to participate at least 2 years post surgery, answered a questionnaire about their subjective functional impairment before and after the ERM peeling. Visual disturbance was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 1 to 100 mm.

The preoperative VA for the eyes in the study was median 0.40 logMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) (range -0.1 to 1.22) resulted in VA of 0.22 logMAR (range -0.1 to 1.1), which is a statistical significant difference (p -). Of 180 patients contacted, answers were received from 103 (57%). Subjective visual disturbance assessed on the VAS showed a median of 70 mm (range 0-100) before surgery compared to a subjective disturbance median 27 mm (range 0-98) postoperatively. The change preoperatively to postoperatively was mean -34 mm (SD 31), median -37 (range -96 to 37), p -. Patients with much disturbance at baseline measured by VAS experienced more subjective benefit of the operation measured by the distance between the mark on the VAS preoperatively and postoperatively, p -, Spearman correlation coefficient.

Patients with considerable preoperative disturbance benefit more from an operation than those with less disturbance.