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Epiretinal Human Amniotic Membrane Overlay for Recurrent Retinal Detachment in Highly Myopic Eyes with Peripapillary
Federico Moscara1, Giacomo Boscia2, Pasquale Puzo1
1Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
Purpose:
To evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes of an epiretinal cryopreserved human amniotic membrane (hAM) overlay technique for the management of recurrent retinal detachment (RD) associated with peripapillary breaks in highly myopic eyes.
Methods:
Retrospective interventional case series including five eyes with recurrent RD (mean axial length 30.70 ± 2.03 mm). Two eyes presented with recurrence under silicone oil (SO) tamponade, and three after prior SO removal. All eyes underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with SO removal when present. A customized 8-9 mm hAM patch was positioned epiretinally and unrolled bimanually under perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL). Final tamponade was achieved with SO 1000 cSt, followed by scheduled SO removal.
Results:
Complete retinal reattachment was achieved in all cases (100%) after a single procedure and remained stable throughout follow-up. Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 1.00 ± 0.60 to 0.68 ± 0.58 logMAR at 2 months after SO removal (p = 0.068). Optical coherence tomography demonstrated stable integration of the hAM as a hyperreflective layer over the peripapillary defects. No cases of graft dislocation, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, or significant inflammatory complications were observed.
Conclusions:
The epiretinal hAM overlay technique appears to be a safe and effective approach for sealing complex peripapillary breaks in highly myopic eyes with chorioretinal atrophy. By providing both mechanical support and a biological scaffold for tissue repair, this technique may represent a valuable surgical option in cases where conventional retinopexy is not feasible or has failed.
