|  | Conditions Treatments | Eye Vision Disorders

Macular Pucker Treatments

Macular pucker is a vision condition that causes scar tissue to form on a part of the eye called the macula. When scar tissue forms, it interferes with vision, making things appear blurry and distorted. Injuries or medical conditions can cause this scar tissue to form. Macular pucker most often occurs in people older than 50, according to the National Eye Institute.

  1. The Facts

    • The macula is the part of the eye's retina that allows people to see tiny details, such as writing on a sign in the distance or fine print on product packaging. Individuals with macular pucker may find it more difficult to see small details or they may see wavy lines when looking at a straight line.

    Initial Treatment

    • In many cases, no treatment for macular pucker is needed; people simply adjust to the mild changes in their vision. However, a patient with macular pucker may need to have more frequent ophthalmic examinations to ensure that the pucker is not worsening and causing damage to other structures of the eye.

    Vitrectomy Surgery

    • Surgery to treat macular pucker is called a vitrectomy because it involves removing the vitreous fluid in the back of the eye. It is usually done only when a person's vision is moderately to severely impaired due to macular pucker. An eye surgeon performing a vitrectomy makes small cuts in the eye to take out the vitreous fluid and scar tissue. Taking out the vitreous fluid and scar tissue allows the patient to have improved fine-detail vision. The National Eye Institute notes that patients undergoing vitrectomy for macular pucker can expect at least half of the vision they lost to be restored.

    Cataract Surgery

    • Sometimes after a person with macular pucker has a vitrectomy, he may have an increased risk of developing a cataract, a cloudy film that develops in the eye. Cataract surgery may be necessary after macular pucker treatment.

    Fluidic Internal Limiting Membrane Separation (FILMS)

    • People with macular pucker may also have macular hole, a condition in which a hole develops in the macula. These patients may undergo a relatively new procedure called fluidic internal limiting membrane separation (FILMS). In this surgery to treat macular pucker and hole, eye surgeons first perform a vitrectomy and then inject fluid between the retina and a membrane in the eye. Then surgeons peel away the membrane, taking with it scar tissue and improving vision.

Eye Vision Disorders - Related Articles