SUMMARY
Vitrectomy and membrane peeling was used to treat 34 consecutive cases of macular pucker with visual acuity of 20/80 or worse. The macular pucker was idiopathic in 11 eyes, occured after otherwise successful retinal reatachment surgery or acute retinal tear in 15 eyes, was associated with uveitis in 5 eyes, penetrating trauma in 2 eyes and with sickle cell retinopathy in 1 eye. Vision improved in 28 eyes (82.4%), remained unchanged in 5 eyes (14.7%) and was reduced in 1 eye (2.9%). There was no statistically significant difference in the functional results of the procedure related to the etiology of the membrane.
Complications from the procedure included peripheral retinal tears successful managed at the time of surgery in 2 eyes (5,9%), posterior retinal tear and vitreous hemorrhage complicated with severe proliferative vitreoretinopathy in 1 eye (2,9%), retinal detachment soon after vitrectomy in 2 eyes (5,9%) and progressive lens opacities occurring in 6 (30%) of 20 phakic eyes up to one year after surgery. The epiretinal membrane recurred postoperatively in 2 eyes (5,9%).