To investigate the effect of gas tamponade with vitrectomy for lamellar macular hole.

This study included 18 eyes of 18 patients with lamellar macular hole who reported visual acuity loss or distorted vision. All patients underwent vitrectomy, epiretinal membrane removal and internal limiting membrane peeling. Intravitreal gas tamponade was performed only in 8 eyes of 8 patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 8 eyes in the gas tamponade with vitrectomy group and 10 eyes that did not receive gas tamponade in the control group. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and appearance based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) were obtained retrospectively.

Epiretinal membranes were observed in all cases. Average visual acuity of the gas tamponade group improved from log MAR 0.50 ± 0.24 to log MAR 0.25 ± 0.14 ( p = 0.041). In the control group, average visual acuity improved from log MAR 0.53 ± 0.36 to log MAR 0.32 ± 0.28 ( p = 0.041), however, no significant difference was observed in visual acuity between the 2 groups ( p = 0.584). Anatomical closure or normalized foveal contour after surgery was confirmed in 6 of 8 eyes in the gas tamponade group and in 7 of 10 eyes in the control group. No significant difference between the 2 groups was observed ( p = 1.00).

Gas tamponade combined with vitrectomy for lamellar macular hole did not affect postoperative anatomical and functional recovery.