Is Cataract Surgery Safe Following Macular Hole Surgery?

February 1, 2010

Dr. Randall Wong

As reported in the AJO, a small study retrospectively studied the effects of cataract surgery following successful macular hole repair. The study goal was to determine if cataract surgery influenced reopening of an initially closed macular hole.

Of 135 eyes of 130 patients, there were no reopenings after initial closure. The timing and need, however, of cataract surgery varied. Of the 130 patients, the cataract status varied; 22 were pseudophakic, 49 had simultaneous cataract surgery and macular hole repair, 53 had cataract surgery following macular hole surgery and 11 remained phakic after the 37 month study.

What Does This Mean? From a practical standpoint, the intraocular gas is going to accelerate the rate of cataract formation in everyone. Cataract surgery following macular hole surgery is not uncommon, nor surprising. Remember that everyone develops cataracts, with or without macular hole formation.

It is important to note that no reopenings occurred in any of the 130 patients. It is apparently not associated with cataract surgery.