Two-year Changes in Postoperative Central Macular Thickness and Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Epiretinal Membrane Patients

Purpose: To evaluate changes in central macular thickness (CMT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) after phacovitrectomy over a 2-year period in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) patients. Methods: The records of 52 idiopathic ERM patients (52 eyes) who underwent phacovitrectomy, without recurrence of the condition over a 2-year follow-up period, were reviewed retrospectively. Changes in CMT and SFCT, as measured by optical coherence tomography, were analyzed and compared with those of a normal control group over a 2-year period. Results: The mean preoperative CMT and SFCT were 425.67 +/- 84.67 and 257.56 +/- 90.13 mu m, respectively. Postoperative CMT was reduced significantly to 372.17 +/- 45.26 mu m at 1 year and 363.15 +/- 47.35 mu m at 2 years (p < 0.001). SFCT at 1 and 2 years postoperatively was significantly reduced to 238.85 +/- 84.85 and 230.31 +/- 87.95 mu m, respectively (p < 0.001). In the control group, there was no significant change in CMT; however, the SFCT decreased by 11.09 +/- 22.36 mu m during the 2-year follow-up (p = 0.007). In contrast, in the patient group, CMT and SFCT decreased by 62.52 +/- 71.45 and 27.25 +/- 41.97 mu m, respectively, showing a significant difference from the control group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.043, respectively). Both before surgery and at 1 year postoperatively, the thinner the CMT, the better the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (p = 0.010 and p = 0.018, respectively). A better postoperative BCVA at 2 years was associated with a thinner CMT and better BCVA before surgery (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Following a phacovitrectomy procedure, ERM patients showed significant reductions in both the CMT and SFCT at the 2-year follow-up.