MACULAR HOLE HYDRODISSECTION TECHNIQUE WITH HUMAN AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE FOR REPAIR OF LARGE MACULAR HOLES

PURPOSE: To describe a combined surgical technique using the macular hole hydrodissection (MHH) with human amniotic membrane for repair of large macular holes. METHODS: A step-by-step procedure and a surgical video using the combined MHH and human amniotic membrane technique are presented. DESCRIPTION AND TECHNIQUE: As the first step, the MHH separates the adhesions of the macular hole to the underlying retinal pigment epithelium with a soft-tipped cannula through proportional reflux followed by gentle passive aspiration. The human amniotic membrane graft is marked to identify the nonsticky epithelial side and ensure that the stromal layer (sticky and nonshinny) is facing downward toward the retinal pigment epithelium. The graft is then tucked into the space created with MHH between the macular hole edges and the retinal pigment epithelium with closed forceps to decrease the likelihood of the graft from dislocating postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The MHH in combination with the human amniotic membrane is a practical and effective technique for addressing challenging large macular holes.