Inverted temporal internal limiting membrane flap technique for chronic large traumatic macular hole

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Surgery

Background:

• Traumatic macular holes (TMH) present unique surgical challenges.
• Standard surgical techniques may have limited success in chronic, large TMH cases.

Observation:

• A case of a 36-year-old male with a three-year-old, large traumatic macular hole (minimum diameter 769 µ) was treated.
• The patient had a history of blunt trauma and a temporal choroidal rupture scar.

Findings:

• Successful closure of the chronic large TMH was achieved using pars plana vitrectomy with an inverted temporal internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap and gas tamponade.
• Postoperative best corrected visual acuity improved from 6/60 to 6/18 within six months.
• Optical coherence tomography confirmed anatomical type 1 closure of the macular hole.

Implications:

• The inverted temporal ILM flap technique is a viable and effective surgical option for chronic and large traumatic macular holes.
• This method offers a potential solution for previously challenging cases of TMH, improving patient outcomes.