What is a Macular Hole?
When there is a small break in the tissue of the macula, it is referred to as a macular hole. A macular hole is the result of abnormal traction on the macula. The traction can be caused by abnormal adhesion of the vitreous gel to the macula. The vitreous is a clear substance that fills the back portion of the eye and as people age, it degenerates and may separate from the retina. During this separation, abnormal adhesion at the macula may cause the creation of a hole. A macular hole causes blurred or distorted central vision.
What are the treatments?
In order to treat a macular hole, surgery is required to remove the traction on the retina. Typically, the recovery from macular hole surgery is the most difficult component to treatment. At the end of the surgery, a gas bubble is placed in the eye to replace the gel that was removed during surgery. The bubble helps reform the macular anatomy and the gas in the bubble rises to the back of the eye, pushing tissues around the hole together to reconnect and close. Recovery is usually for five days following surgery.
