Effect of ILM Peeling on Anatomical and Visual Outcomes in Diabetic Tractional Retinal Detachment.

OBJECTIVES: The objcetive is to compare the anatomic and functional outcomes of vitrectomy between internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and non-ILM peeling in diabetic tractional retinal detachment (TRD).

METHODS: Twenty-three eyes with diabetic TRD with ILM peeling were compared with twenty-four eyes with non-ILM peeling. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was recorded at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12 months, and end of follow-up. The mean retinal thickness across nine different regions that defined in the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) were obtained. The ETDRS grid was used to determine the extent of macular involvement.

RESULTS: In the 1st month postoperatively, the mean BCVA of eyes with ILM peeling (1.08±0.63 LogMAR) was significantly better than eyes with ILM non-peeling (1.69±0.75 LogMAR, p=0.003). There was also a significant difference at 9 and 12 months between groups in BCVA, in favor of ILM peeling (p=0.012 and p=0.047, respectively). Seven patients (29.2%) developed epiretinal membrane (ERM), and one patient (4.1%) had ERM with the lamellar macular hole in the ILM non-peeling group, while only one patient developed ERM in ILM peeling group during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION: ILM removal may be considered in diabetic TRD surgery, as it can provide rapid visual recovery. Moreover, post-operative ERM formation was less frequent in ILM peeled eyes within 1 year after surgery.