[Prophylaxis of operative macular complications of retinal detachment by microsurgery (author's transl)]

Certain macular lesions which impair the visual results of successful retinal detachment surgery result from the treatment itself. The causes of the macular lesions due to surgery are reviewed. The incidence of those lesions is likely to be decreased by microsurgery which allows for a well controlled surgery. In a series of 100 consecutive retinal detachments successfully operated on by microsurgery--out of 111 consecutive cases operated on--visual acuity of 5/10 or Better was achieved in 45% of the cases, and reading acuity of Parinaud 3 or Better was achieved in 70% of the cases. Neither macular pigment migration nor macular hemorrhage were observed in this series. Nevertheless the incidence of macular pucker due to surgery is 2% and the incidence of cystoid macular edema is 3%. As the incidence of the latter complications is lower in this series than in a previous series the authors believe that the frequency of the macular complications of retinal detachment surgery should be even lower in future with a wider experience of microsurgery.