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Macular Hole |
A macular hole is a small defect in center of the retina. Often, a macular hole interferes with central vision. Macular holes can be due to aging, or they can result from disorders such as epiretinal membrane, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, and trauma to the eye. Macular holes often begin gradually, and may not be noticed at first. The earliest symptom can be distortion or blurriness in the straight-ahead vision. Straight lines or objects can begin to look bent or wavy.How is a macular hole diagnosed? Oftentimes, your ophthalmologist or retinal specialist can see a macular hole during a dilated eye exam. Sometimes, fluorescein angiography or optical coherence tomography is also useful. How is a macular hole treated?Some macular holes require no treatment, however, vitrectomy surgery is necessary in many cases to help improve vision. The surgery consists of removing the vitreous gel, peeling scar tissue off of the retinal surface, and placement of a gas bubble within the eye. The bubble acts as an internal, temporary bandage. Surgery is performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient. Following surgery, patients are asked to position facedown for 2 weeks. Because such positioning is difficult for many people, your surgeon will discuss this with you before surgery.
Vision improvement varies from patient to patient. People that have had a macular hole for less than six months have a better chance of recovering vision than those who have had one for a longer period. Vision recovery can continue for as long as three months after surgery.
If a macular hole exists in one eye, there is a 15% chance that a macular hole will develop in your other eye over your lifetime. More information?The National Eye Institute http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/macularhole/index.asp |
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Retina Center Minnesota
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Contact Us Tel: (612) 871-2292 (800) 233-8504 Fax: (612) 871-0195 staff@retinadocs.com |