Optical coherence tomography analysis of the recovery of the ellipsoid zone after macular hole surgery: 2-year results.

PURPOSE: To present the two-year results of ellipsoid zone (EZ) recovery by Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) after vitrectomy surgery in large full thickness macular holes (MHs). METHODS: Thirty eyes of 30 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Inclusion criteria were large full thickness idiopathic MH (400 microns), a minimum follow-up period of 24 months and successful repair of the hole with the first surgery. The mean length of the EZ defect was calculated linearly via SD-OCT preoperatively and at postoperative 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th and 24th months. The main outcome measures were diameter of the EZ defect and preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuities (BCVA). RESULTS: The EZ defect was mostly recovered in the first month. The continuity of the EZ and total recovery of the EZ defect was achieved in 3.33 % of the participants at month 12; 10 % of the participants at month 18, and 33.3 % of the participants at month 24. The EZ defect was significantly correlated with BCVA preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively (P=0.02 and P=0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Ellipsoid zone recovery occurred mostly in the first month after vitreoretinal surgery, and this recovery process extended up to 2 years. At 24 months postoperatively, the EZ was fully recovered in only one third of the patients.