Autologous Retinal Transplantation with the Use of Air Tamponade for the Treatment of a Primary Large Chronic Macular Hole

Abstract

The purpose of this case report is to describe a chandelier-assisted bimanual autologous retinal transplantation (ART) with air tamponade technique for the treatment of a large macular hole (MH). A patient with a primary chronic large MH, who underwent chandelier-assisted bimanual ART with the use of air tamponade is described. The MH diameter was 888 μm. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were measured postoperatively; clinical pictures and optical coherence tomography were analyzed. Baseline preoperative BCVA was 20/400. Closure of the MH was achieved. At 7 months, post-surgery BCVA improved to 20/50. Optical coherence tomography examinations showed the integration of the autologous transplant with the adjacent macular tissue and continuity preservation of the ellipsoid layer. In conclusion, chandelier-assisted bimanual ART with air tamponade technique was effective in achieving complete MH closure and long-term visual improvement.

Keywords

• autologous retinal transplantation
• macular hole surgery
• perfluorocarbon liquids
• air tamponade
• macular hole