To investigate the result of vitrectomy with epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling for idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane (IMEM).

Clinical data of 51 patients (51 eyes) of IMEM who underwent vitrectomy with ERM peeling were retrospectively investigated. All the patients were examined by visual acuity, slit lamp, fundus under mydriasis, optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and after the surgery. The 3-18 months follow-up were included, mean (5.8±3.2) months. All the macular ERM were removed successfully. Paired-sample t test was used to study the visual acuity and macular foveal thickness before and after surgery. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to study the correlation between visual acuity and macular foveal thickness.

In the 51 patients, the best visual acuity improved from 4.25±0.34 to 4.65±0.23 postoperatively. The difference was statistically significant (t=-9.012, P=0.000), and the mean foveomacular thickness decreased from (432.7 ± 91.7) to (333.3 ± 66.1)μm postoperatively, the difference was statistically significant (t=10.565, P=0.000). There was negative correlation between visual acuity and mean foveomacular thickness (r=- 0.452, P=0.001), and it was obvious postoperatively (r=-0.602, P=0.000). The increase of visual acuity was strongly correlated with the decline of mean foveomacular thickness (r=0.382, P=0.006). Twelve eyes have developed cataract in 3 to 6 months after vitrectomy which affect the visual acuity. All of them went phacoemulsification and intraocular lenses(IOL) implantation and visual acuity after surgery had an obviously improvement.

Vitrectomy with ERM peeling can improve visual acuity and ease macular edema. And it is a safe and effective therapy to treat patients of IMEM. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52:343-347)

epiretinal membrane; Vitrectomy; Visual acuity; Macula lutea; Tomography, Optical Coherence