Epiretinal Amniotic Membrane Patch as a Temporary Scaffold for Refractory Macular Hole Closure: A Case Report.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Surgery

Background:

• Macular holes significantly impair vision, with standard treatments showing lower efficacy for chronic or large defects.
• Advanced surgical techniques are emerging for refractory macular holes, including amniotic membrane (AM) grafts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel surgical approach using epiretinal AM transplantation for a large, chronic, treatment-refractory macular hole.
• To evaluate the feasibility of AM patch removal after facilitating macular hole closure.

Main Methods:

• The study involved a patient with a large chronic stage-4 macular hole unresponsive to standard treatment.
• Epiretinal AM transplantation was performed, utilizing a large AM patch (> 6 mm) as a temporary pre-retinal scaffold.
• The AM patch was surgically removed 2 months post-transplantation.

Main Results:

• Successful closure of the large chronic macular hole was achieved with the AM transplantation technique.
• The subsequent removal of the AM patch was feasible, indicating a potential two-stage approach.

Conclusions:

• Epiretinal AM transplantation is a viable and novel surgical option for large, chronic macular holes refractory to conventional treatments.
• The feasibility of AM patch removal highlights the need for further refinement of this technique for optimal outcomes in macular hole surgery.