Article
Visual quality of life before and after vitreomacular surgery of Macular Pucker
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Published: | September 22, 2004 |
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Outline
Text
Objective
Epiretinal Membranes can cause reduction of visual acuity and metamorphopsies due to retinal traction. In addition to the impairment of visual acuity the quality of vision is reduced. The only criteria for the success of surgical therapy is the visual outcome and not the visual quality of life. This prospective study was designed to identify the influence of surgical treatment of macular pucker on the quality of life.
Methods
The study enrolled 20 patients with macular pucker which all had vitrectomy with membrane peeling. Preoperative and 3 months postoperative best corrected visual acuity were evaluated as well as life quality by the Visual Function-14 test (VF-14).
Results
There was an increase of best corrected visual acuity during follow up from preoperative 0,3±0,13 (Standard error of the mean) to postoperative 0,5±0,16 (p<0,05). The visual life quality (VF-14 values; Maximum 100) increases from 75,6±4,4 preoperative to 85,3±2,9 postoperative (p<0,05). The lowest VF14 values before surgery were 36,5, compared with at least 60,7 after operation. The quality of life improved especially in patients with low preoperative VF-14 levels after vitreomacular surgery.
Conclusions
Even before the final postoperative visual rehabilitation after surgical treatment of macular pucker the visual quality of life improved significantly. Visual life quality is appropriate to evaluate the success of surgery especially in subjective very affected patients and is useful in addition to the measurement of best corrected visual acuity.