Intraocular pressure change with face-down positioning after macular hole surgery

This study evaluated changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) with face-down positioning (FDP) following surgical treatment of idiopathic macular hole. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 130 patients diagnosed with idiopathic macular hole who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with intravitreal gas injection after fluid-gas exchange. We analyzed IOP changes in both eyes following FDP over the course of 7 days. The mean IOP of the operated eyes was 14.98±2.95 mmHg preoperatively and 16.82±3.12 and 15.57±6.10 mmHg on postoperative days 2 and 7, respectively. In contralateral eyes, the mean IOP changed from 14.78±3.15 mmHg preoperatively to 16.27±1.87 and 14.40±4.14 mmHg on postoperative days 2 and 7, respectively. On postoperative day 2, the IOP increased in both eyes compared to the preoperative values, but the increase was significant only in operated eyes (p = 0.039). In contralateral eyes, the IOP on postoperative day 7 was significantly decreased compared with that on postoperative day 2 (p = 0.021) and in eyes with an axial length ≥ 23.0 mm, compared with the preoperative values (p = 0.042). The IOP of the operated eyes on postoperative day 7 was higher than that of the contralateral eyes (p = 0.039). Based on a short-term follow-up, FDP after PPV with intravitreal gas tamponade for the treatment of idiopathic macular hole may cause IOP elevation not only in the operated, but also in the contralateral eyes; the IOP increase in contralateral eyes was not as significant as that in operated eyes and was not maintained over 7 days after surgery; the IOP change seems to be affected by axial length and lens status.