BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Studies using sterilized air in chronic idiopathic macular holes show varying success rates, and the impact of a shorter duration of tamponade on photoreceptor layer recovery is not fully elucidated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Surgical outcomes of 35 cases (seven in stage 3 and 28 in stage 4) were assessed for best corrected visual acuity and with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The primary closure rate was 91.4%, and the closed cases and unclosed cases were significantly different in the preoperative (P = .042) and postoperative (P = .040) diameter of the photoreceptor layer defect. After surgery, there was a significant improvement in best corrected visual acuity and a decrease in the photoreceptor layer defect. The postoperative logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution was significantly correlated with the preoperative hole diameter (P = .003) and the postoperative diameter of the photoreceptor layer defect (P = .005). CONCLUSION: Air tamponade is a safe and effective treatment for chronic and severe macular holes, with several spectral-domain optical coherence tomography parameters highly predictive of postoperative visual acuity. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Studies using sterilized air in chronic idiopathic macular holes show varying success rates, and the impact of a shorter duration of tamponade on photoreceptor layer recovery is not fully elucidated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Surgical outcomes of 35 cases (seven in stage 3 and 28 in stage 4) were assessed for best corrected visual acuity and with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The primary closure rate was 91.4%, and the closed cases and unclosed cases were significantly different in the preoperative (P = .042) and postoperative (P = .040) diameter of the photoreceptor layer defect. After surgery, there was a significant improvement in best corrected visual acuity and a decrease in the photoreceptor layer defect. The postoperative logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution was significantly correlated with the preoperative hole diameter (P = .003) and the postoperative diameter of the photoreceptor layer defect (P = .005). CONCLUSION: Air tamponade is a safe and effective treatment for chronic and severe macular holes, with several spectral-domain optical coherence tomography parameters highly predictive of postoperative visual acuity. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.