The use of biological amniotic membranes in the treatment of recurrent macular holes

To evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects of a technique in which biological amniotic membranes (bAMs) are used in the treatment of patients with recurrent macular holes. In this prospective nonrandomized case series study, 23 eyes of 23 patients with recurrent macular holes who had already undergone surgery with pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling were evaluated. In the surgery, a bAM was used to cover the macular area, and C(3)F(8) tamponade was performed on these patients. Phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation was performed simultaneously in patients who had cataracts. Patients were followed up for at least half a year. The main outcomes were whether the macular hole closed, the morphological changes in the macular graft, the best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP) and other indicators. In all eyes, the recurrent macular holes were closed. Two cases (8.69%, 2/23) had bAM shifting half a month after surgery, and these patients underwent a second surgery to adjust the position of the bAM and perform C3F8 tamponade. In the 6-month follow-up, 21 patients (91.30%, 21/23) had improved visual acuity (VA), and 2 patients (8.69%, 2/23) had no change in VA. The mean VA increased from 1.73 ± 0.32 before surgery to 1.12 ± 0.42 after surgery (t = 10.63, P = 0.00 < 0.01), and the mean IOP decreased from 22.13 ± 5.56 before surgery to 17.23 ± 1.71 after surgery (t = 5.14, P = 0.00 < 0.01). No serious complications occurred in any of the cases. The technique of using a biological amniotic membrane can be an effective treatment for patients with recurrent macular holes.