COMPARISON OF THE INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE INSERTION TECHNIQUE AND THE INVERTED INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE FLAP TECHNIQUE WITH VITRECTOMY TO TREAT MACULAR HOLE-ASSOCIATED RETINAL DETACHMENT.

PURPOSE To compare the anatomical and functional outcomes of macular hole (MH)-associated retinal detachment after vitrectomy with the internal limiting membrane (ILM) insertion technique or the inverted ILM flap technique. METHODS In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the medical records of 49 eyes with MH-associated retinal detachment that underwent vitrectomy with the ILM insertion (26 eyes) or ILM flap (23 eyes) technique. RESULTS The MH closure rate at 12 months was greater in the ILM flap group versus the ILM insertion group (95% vs. 73%, respectively, P = 0.059). The postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 12 months was significantly better in the ILM flap group (P = 0.014). All eyes (100%) showed an improvement in the BCVA of ≥0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (15 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters) in the ILM flap group versus 20 eyes (77%) in the ILM insertion group (P = 0.026). The preoperative BCVA and the ILM flap technique were significantly correlated with the postoperative BCVA (P = 0.028 and 0.027, respectively) and BCVA improvement (≥0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [15 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters]; P = 0.003 and 0.026, respectively). CONCLUSION The inverted ILM flap technique was more effective in improving the postoperative BCVA in patients with MH-associated retinal detachment when compared with the ILM insertion technique. The preoperative BCVA and the ILM flap technique were independent prognostic factors for visual outcomes in patients with MH-associated retinal detachment.