How to Heal Macular Pucker

The macula is the part of the retina responsible for your central vision. Occasionally, strands of scar tissue in the eye, known as "epiretinal membranes," may form, and can pull on the macula. The causes of the formation of epiretinal membranes are uncertain; sometimes they are the result of a medical condition like diabetes, others are caused by eye surgery, but the majority happen for unknown reasons.

When these membranes cause the macula to wrinkle, the condition is known as macular pucker. At its worst, it may cause difficulty seeing fine details, and make straight lines appear wavy or broken.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult your doctor about whether or not your macular pucker needs to be treated at all. If it isn't causing significant problems with vision, your ophthalmologist may just recommend that you come back for more frequent eye examinations to make sure your condition doesn't deteriorate.

• 2

  In case your condition does take a turn for the worse and your vision is severely impaired, your doctor may decide that surgery is needed. If your doctor decides to operate, follow all pre-operative instructions carefully. Your doctor will likely administrate a local anesthetic before removing the vitreous fluid and then excising the epiretinal membranes.

• 3

  After the operation, follow your doctor's advice, use all medications as recommended, and be sure to follow up with your surgeon and eye doctor regularly.