COMBINED INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE FLAP AND AUTOLOGOUS PLASMA CONCENTRATE TO CLOSE A LARGE TRAUMATIC MACULAR HOLE IN A PEDIATRIC PATIENT

PURPOSE

To describe a case of a large, traumatic macular hole in a pediatric patient closed using an internal limiting membrane flap in combination with autologous plasma concentrate (APC).

METHODS

Description of a surgical technique as performed in one patient.

RESULTS

Successful macular hole closure and improvement in postoperative visual acuity were achieved in the patient in whom the technique was performed.

CONCLUSION

The combined use of APC with the internal limiting membrane flap is advantageous because the APC acts to hold the internal limiting membrane in proper position and promotes the proliferation of glial cells through the presence of growth factors. This technique may be particularly advantageous in chronic or recalcitrant holes particularly in the setting of trauma.

Internal limiting membrane flap technique in macular hole surgery

Vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling is popular for the treatment of macular hole (MH). However, the improvements of MH closure rate and postoperative visual acuity are not satisfactory especially in large and refractory MHs. Currently, the ILM flap technique has gradually been applied for the treatment of MH and achieved high MH closure rate. The ILM flap technique has many variations, including the difference of the size, shape, number, and manner in which the flaps put on the MHs. The ILM flap technique also has some auxiliary means including perfluoro-n-octane (PFO), dye, autologous blood and adhesive viscoelastics. There is controversy about the effects between several technique variations of ILM flap, and it needs to be explored in the future.

Broad internal limiting membrane peeling with adjunctive plasma-thrombin for repair of large macular holes : A retrospective case series

PURPOSE

To assess the potential efficacy of broad internal limiting membrane peeling with adjunctive plasma-thrombin instillation to treat large macular holes and to make qualitative comparisons to internal limiting membrane peeling without adjunctive treatment and internal limiting membrane peeling with inverted and free internal limiting membrane flaps.

METHODS

A systematic literature review and a retrospective case series. Participants in the case series (N = 39) had idiopathic macular holes larger than 400 µm as measured on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, placement of autologous plasma and bovine thrombin over the hole, and gas tamponade. Repeat imaging and clinical data were collected from 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Macular hole closure rate was 97%; 82% had U-type closures. At 12 months, 11% had defects in the external limiting membrane and 22% in the ellipsoid zone. This closure rate is similar to prior studies of internal limiting membrane flaps, while the U-type closure rate and retinal layer restoration compare favorably to those reported for internal limiting membrane peeling alone and internal limiting membrane flaps; 75% experienced a three-line improvement in visual acuity by 6 months, which exceeds results by either method.

CONCLUSION

Plasma-thrombin instillation over macular holes may be a less-complicated alternative adjunct to internal limiting membrane flaps that can achieve similar outcomes when combined with internal limiting membrane peeling.

Autologous internal limiting membrane transplant for recurrent idiopathic macular holes

PURPOSE

To report a series of recurrent idiopathic macular holes treated by means of a free autologous internal limiting membrane flap and compare visual and anatomic results to a control group undergoing further internal limiting membrane peeling and novel gas tamponade.

METHODS

Retrospective surgical series of 15 consecutive patients receiving autologous internal limiting membrane flap compared to 14 patients operated on for internal limiting membrane peeling enlargement. Autologous internal limiting membrane flap was created after brilliant blue G staining, internal limiting membrane lifting, perfluorocarbon bubble injection and creation of a wide internal limiting membrane free flap translocated underneath perfluorocarbon liquid, to the macular hole bed. Both groups were tamponated with 20% SF6 and positioned face down for 4 h a day for 3 days.

RESULTS

Macular hole closed in 14/15 (93.3%) patients of the autologous internal limiting membrane group and 9/14 (64.2%) controls (p < 0.05). Visual acuity increased from 0.05 ± 0.03 to 0.23 ± 0.13 Snellen in the autologous internal limiting membrane group and from 0.05 ± 0.03 to 0.14 ± 0.10 Snellen of controls (p < 0.05 for both). Vision of the autologous internal limiting membrane group improved more than controls at 1 month (p = 0.043) and 3 months (p = 0.045). Inner segment/outer segment interruption at 3 months was smaller in the autologous internal limiting membrane group than controls, reducing from 1230 ± 288 µm at baseline to 611 ± 245 and 547 ± 204 µm at 3 months versus 1196 ± 362, 745 ± 222 and 705 ± 223 µm, respectively (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Autologous internal limiting membrane flap can effectively close recurrent idiopathic macular holes with a higher closure rate, smaller residual inner segment/outer segment line interruption and higher visual acuity at 3 months than previous standard of care.

Autologous internal limiting membrane flap for retinal detachment due to posterior retinal tears over choroidal atrophy in highly myopic eyes

PURPOSE

To review a series of highly myopic eyes with retinal detachment undergoing pars plana vitrectomy with autologous internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap placed over posterior retinal breaks located in areas of choroidal atrophy.

METHODS

Retrospective review of 13 consecutive patients receiving pars plana vitrectomy with ILM flap over causative breaks, compared with 19 controls receiving the same surgery with ILM peeling but no ILM flap. Main outcome measures included anatomical success rate, visual acuity, number of surgeries and the rate of silicone oil removal.

RESULTS

Patients in the ILM group required 2.08±0.37 interventions versus 2.58±0.75 in the control group (p=0.037). One (1/13; 7.6%) patient in the ILM group required additional unplanned surgery versus 8/19 (42.10%) in the control group (p=0.038). Final anatomical success rate defined as attached retina after silicone oil (SiO) removal was 13/13 in the I-ILM group and 14/19 (73.6%) in the control group (p=0.052). No patients (0/13) in the I-ILM group retained SiO at the end of follow-up versus 4/19 (21.1%) patients in the control group (p=0.061). Best-corrected visual acuity at the end of follow-up was logMAR 0.65±0.36 (20/91 Snellen) in the ILM group and logMAR 0.89±0.44 (20/158 Snellen) in the control group (p=0.20).

CONCLUSION

Autologous ILM may help seal posterior retinal breaks and improve the surgical prognosis of retinal detachment due to breaks located over areas of choroidal atrophy within the myopic staphyloma.

Efficacy of the Inverted Internal Limiting Membrane Flap Technique with Perfluorocarbon Liquid-Mediated Selective Staining for Large Macular Hole Repair

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique that involved the use of a perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) bubble for the selective prevention of indocyanine green (ICG) staining of the parts of the inverted flap in contact with the retinal pigment epithelium for large macular hole (MH) closure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective, interventional, comparative study included 26 patients with idiopathic large MHs (minimum diameter, > 400 µm) who underwent vitrectomy using the inverted ILM flap technique with conventional ILM staining with ICG (n = 14, Group 1) or PFCL-mediated selective ILM staining with ICG (n = 12, Group 2). The hole closure rate, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and optical coherence tomography findings were analyzed at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery in both groups.

RESULTS

Hole closure was achieved in all the eyes. BCVA significantly improved after surgery in both groups (p < 0.001 for both groups), although Group 2 exhibited significantly better values at 3 and 6 months after surgery (p = 0.008 and 0.001 at 3 and 6 months, respectively). The sizes of ellipsoid zone defect significantly decreased after surgery in both groups (p < 0.001 relative to the baseline width in both groups), and it was significantly smaller in Group 2 than in Group 1 at 3 (p = 0.006) and 6 (p = 0.001) months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that recovery of the photoreceptor layers and, consequently, the postoperative VA are better with the inverted ILM flap technique employing PFCL-mediated selective ILM staining with ICG than with the technique employing conventional ILM staining with ICG methods for patients with large MHs.