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Reopening of macular holes after initially successful repair
N J Christmas1, W E Smiddy, H W Flynn
1Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA.
Objective:
To evaluate the frequency and prognosis of reopening of a macular hole after initially successful repair in a defined patient cohort.
Design:
Retrospective consecutive noncomparative case series.
Participants:
Seventeen cases of reopened macular holes among 390 cases of idiopathic macular holes that previously had undergone macular hole surgery were studied.
Main Outcome Measures:
Assessment of demographics, visual acuity, preoperatively, postoperatively, after reopening of macular hole and after reoperation, if applicable, and precipitating factors.
Results:
There were 17 (4.8%) of 353 cases in which the macular hole reopened after initial successful surgical closure. The mean visual acuity before reopening was 20/48 and was 20/133 after reopening. Twelve eyes underwent reoperation with improvement to a mean visual acuity of 20/54. The five eyes that were not reoperated on maintained a mean visual acuity of 20/200. Ten of the eyes had undergone cataract surgery between macular hole surgeries, but in only one did the reopening appear to occur in association with this procedure.
Conclusions:
Reopening of a previously successfully operated macular hole is uncommon and seems to be a spontaneous event. Reoperation generally yields results similar to those present before the reopening. Reopening of a macular hole associated with cataract surgery is rare.