Combined Idiopathic Macular Hole Vitrectomy with Phacoemulsification without Face-Down Positioning

Purpose . To evaluate the outcome of combined vitrectomy with phacoemulsification without postoperative face-down positioning for idiopathic macular holes (MHs). Design . Retrospective, observational case series. Participants . Forty-two eyes of 42 patients with MH. Methods . We studied 42 eyes of 42 cases followed up for 6 months postoperatively. MH closure rate and preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA) were evaluated. Main Outcome Measures . MH closure rate and VA were evaluated after combined vitrectomy with phacoemulsification without postoperative face-down positioning. Results . Of the 42 holes, 40 (95.2%) were initially closed, and the final closure rate was 100%. Compared with preoperative VA, the mean VA was significantly improved at 1 month and the improvement was maintained for at least 6 months postoperatively. Conclusions . Combined vitrectomy with phacoemulsification without postoperative face-down positioning produced favorable anatomic and functional results for MH repair. Improvement in VA can be expected for up to at least 6 months postoperatively.