Role of Concomitant Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection in Small-Gauge Vitrectomy for Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Peel.

PURPOSE: The concomitant use of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) at the completion of pars plana vitrectomy for the treatment of epiretinal membrane may speed up the anatomical and functional outcomes of surgery. We report the outcome of patients undergoing small-gauge vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal membrane peel with or without adjuvant TA therapy. DESIGN: This is a retrospective, single-center case series. METHODS: We included 75 eyes of 75 individual patients. Twenty-six patients (group A) had an adjuvant TA injection during surgery, whereas 49 patients (group B) were not injected. We assessed the patients for change in visual acuity (VA) and central macular thickness before and after surgery. RESULTS: Group A had a mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution VA of 0.63 ± 0.33 and 0.51 ± 0.31 preoperatively and 3 months after surgery, respectively. Group B had a mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution VA of 0.47 ± 0.17 and 0.36 ± 0.17 preoperatively and 3 months after surgery, respectively. No significant difference was found between the groups in change of VA. The mean central macular thickness for groups A and B patients before surgery was 474.12 ± 120 µm and 445 ± 85 µm, decreasing to 369 ± 70 µm and 386 ± 60 µm at the final visit, respectively. The difference in macular thickness reduction between the groups was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomical and functional improvement was found in both groups after surgery. Macular thickness was further reduced in the group of patients treated with adjuvant TA.