Macular Pucker and Pars Plana Vitrectomy

Featuring Dr. Michael Kapusta, MD, FRSCS, Ophthalmologist

Duration: 2 minutes, 10 seconds

The macula is the centre of the retina. A macular pucker is when a wrinkle develops in the centre of the retina. This is typically idiopathic, that means it just happens like that. In other cases, a macular pucker can be associated with other diseases of the retina, and your doctor will determine whether you have it just like that – or idiopathic, or are there other diseases in the eye said Dr. Michael Kapusta.

The macula is the centre of the vision. When it is puckered or wrinkled, there is often blurring of vision, distortion of vision or sometimes discrepancy in the image size between two eyes. A macular pucker is a condition where surface said Dr. Michael Kapusta. wrinkling has occurred on the retina. This will not be able to heal on its own said Dr. Michael Kapusta. .

Your ophthalmologist may decide that you have enough macular pucker to justify a referral to a vitreoretinal surgeon. This surgeon will consider the advantages and disadvantages of offering you a surgical intervention to remove the macular pucker said Dr. Michael Kapusta. . The technique used to repair macular pucker is called pars plana vitrectomy. The surgeon will go into the eye, under local or general anesthesia, remove the vitreous gel, and then with tiny forceps remove the wrinkle that has grown on the surface of the macula said Dr. Michael Kapusta. .

The success rate of this procedure is quite high, but one should consider that it is successful to just stabilize vision, because the presence of macular pucker can be associated with continued decline of vision over the years that follow. Success can be as high as 70% of patients that report improved vision after macular pucker surgery said Dr. Michael Kapusta. .

If you are concerned that you have distortion of vision, blurred vision, and might have a macular pucker, you should seek the attention of your optometrist or ophthalmologist, who may then refer you for consultation with a vitreoretinal surgeon said Dr. Michael Kapusta.

Presenter: Dr. Michael Kapusta, Ophthalmologist, Montreal, QC

Local Practitioners: Ophthalmologist