The Change of Macular Function After Epiretinal Membrane Surgery

Hakyoung Kim, Wooho Nam

Department of ophthalmology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital,
Hallym University, Seoul, Korea

Purpose: To evaluate macular function before and after successful membrane removal with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling of idiopathic epiretinal membranes by means of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG)

Methods: Multifocal ERGs of 24 patients (24 eyes) with idiopathic epiretinal membrane were recorded before and after epiretinal membrane surgery. The retinal response densities and implicit time of area 1 and 2 were compared pre- and postoperatively. The mean postoperative period was 3.3 months and mean postoperative follow up period was 18 months

Results: Finally visual acuity (VA) was improved from 0.44±0.29 logMAR to 0.21±0.23 logMAR (p<0.001). There was no significant difference of the P1 amplitude and implicit time between pre- and postoperative value. And there was no significant correlation with improvement of visual acuity and the changes of electrical retinal response densities and implicit time of ring1 and 2.

Conclusion: The use of mfERG does not seem to be a useful measure to predict surgical outcome after epiretinal membrane surgery. We can conclude the ILM peeling does not influence electrophysiological retinal response measured by mfERG.