Surgical Outcomes and Differences in Values of Ocular Parameters Following Vitrectomy for Macular Hole over a 10-Year Period

TL;DR

This study found that over 10 years, patients with macular holes had longer eye lengths and more myopia, suggesting a shift in patient profiles.

Contribution

The study identifies a trend of increasing axial length and myopia in macular hole patients over a decade.

Findings

The MH2019 group had a significantly higher use of inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique compared to MH2014.

The MH2019 group had longer axial lengths and higher incidence of myopic macular holes compared to MH2014.

There was a significant increase in axial length over 10 years in the MH group but not in the ERM group.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: We aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of macular hole (MH) cases and evaluate how the axial length (AL) affected the outcomes. Methods: Six hundred and sixty-three eyes with MHs that underwent vitrectomy over the past 10 years were reviewed. The changes in AL were compared to those of 1948 eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membranes (ERMs) operated on during the same period. The MH cases for the 5 years from 2014 to 2018 were designated as the MH2014 group, and those from 2019 to 2023 as the MH2019 group. The ERM cases were divided similarly into the ERM2014 and ERM2019 groups. The clinical characteristics of the cases and surgical outcomes were compared. Results: The MH diameter, closure rate, and baseline and postoperative visual acuity were not significantly different. The use of the inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique was significantly higher in the MH2019 group (58%) than in the MH2014 group (24%, p < 0.001). The mean AL was significantly longer in the MH2019 group (25.2 ± 2.4 mm) than in the MH2014 group (24.6 ± 2.1 mm, p = 0.004). The incidence of myopic MHs with AL ≥ 26 mm and AL ≥ 30 mm was higher in the MH2019 group (30.9%, p = 0.008, 6.4%, p = 0.017, respectively). There was a significant trend for longer ALs over 10 years in the MH group (p = 0.002), but not in the ERM group. Conclusions: The increased AL and the rising proportion of eyes with myopic MHs indicate that the patient profile of eyes with MHs has changed over the past decade.

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