Is epiretinal membrane serious?
Any surgical procedure carries a risk of complications and epiretinal membrane surgery is no exception. Post-operative infection (endophthalmitis) can be very serious and may lead to blindness in the affected eye. Most infections can be effectively treated if identified at an early stage.
What is epiretinal membrane composed of?
Modern vitrectomy specimens have shown that epiretinal membranes comprise glial cells, retinal pigment epithelial cells, macrophages, fibrocytes, and collagen cells. These cells are found in varying proportions in accordance with the etiology of the membrane.
When was epiretinal membrane discovered?
This ocular pathology was first described by Iwanoff in 1865, and it has been shown to occur in about 7% of the population. It can occur more frequently in the older population with postmortem studies showing it in 2% of those aged 50 years and 20% in those aged 75 years.
Should I have surgery for epiretinal membrane?
If your symptoms are significant you may want to consider surgery to help maximize the vision in your affect eye. Surgery is the only way to treat an epiretinal membrane, there are no eye drops or medications that you can take that will help.
When should an epiretinal membrane be removed?
There is no wrong or right time to have epiretinal membrane surgery. Some people may choose not to have surgery and to accept the distorted vision in one eye. If you have good vision in the other eye, over time you will adapt to the distorted vision in the affected eye and this may no longer bother you.
How long does it take to recover from epiretinal membrane?
The macular pucker surgery recovery time can vary from between three to six months. Healing occurs gradually over this time, with most people regaining about half of the vision lost from a macular pucker.
Can stress cause epiretinal membrane?
Stress is a likely cause of central serous retinopathy. Stress causes the body to produce a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can cause inflammation and leaks. This leakage may lead to fluid building up in the back of the eye.
How successful is epiretinal membrane surgery?
Purpose: Surgery has been successful in removing epiretinal membranes (ERM) from the macula, allowing some improvement in vision in 80-90% of patients; however, complications are relatively frequent.
Can you live with epiretinal membrane?
ERM does not always cause sight problems. If you are not noticing any vision problems, then you may not need any treatment. Many epiretinal membranes do not get any worse and may never affect vision, so can just be left alone. An epiretinal membrane is sometimes described as “scar tissue” on the retina.
What is the success rate of epiretinal membrane surgery?
Is epiretinal membrane surgery painful?
In the vast majority of epiretinal membrane peels, no sutures are required given the precision of the procedure and the instruments used. This results in minimal discomfort during the recovery period.
How does epiretinal fibrosis affect the central vision?
Epiretinal fibrosis is a disease of the macula, which affects the central retina, and there by the central vision. Epiretinal fibrosis is due to a growth of connective tissue on retinas surface.
How is the epiretinal membrane related to macular pucker?
Epiretinal Membrane (macular pucker) Epiretinal membrane (ERM) is identified with many different terms, including cellophane maculopathy and macular pucker. It is a thin, almost transparent layer of fibrous cellular material which grows over the surface of the retina. Like a layer of plastic wrap or cellophane, it can be basically transparent.
What are the groups of patients with epiretinal fibrosis?
Intervention group contains the patients randomized for early treatment of their epiretinal fibrosis. Intervention group contains patients randomized to receive surgery for their epiretinal fibrosis, at an earlier point than what the common clinical practice is now. Control contains patients not randomized for early surgery.
Where does the term epiretinal membrane come from?
Epiretinal membrane (ERM), also known as macular pucker, is identified with many different terms, including surface-wrinkling retinopathy, cellophane maculopathy, and pre-retinal macular fibrosis. ERM gets its common name from scar tissue that has formed on the macula, creating a very thin,…