Skip to main content
PMC home page
The British Journal of Ophthalmology logoLink to The British Journal of Ophthalmology
. 2001 Aug;85(8):928–932. doi: 10.1136/bjo.85.8.928

Electrophysiological changes after 360° retinotomy and macular translocation for subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation in age related macular degeneration

C Luke 1, S Aisenbrey 1, M Luke 1, G Marzella 1, K U Bartz-Schmidt 1, P Walter 1
PMCID: PMC1724071  PMID: 11466247

Abstract

AIM—To evaluate electrophysiological changes after 360° retinotomy and macular translocation for subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation in patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD).
METHODS—A consecutive series of 32 patients suffering from subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation secondary to AMD underwent 360° retinotomy and macular translocation. The ERG served as the main parameter of the study and was recorded 1 day before the translocation surgery and no earlier than 4 weeks after the silicone oil removal.
RESULTS—The scotopic ERG amplitudes were significantly reduced after translocation surgery. Depending on the applied flash luminance the mean b-wave amplitude reduction of the scotopic ERG varied between 67% (0.2 cd.s/m2) and 74% (0.03 cd.s/m2). The a-waves and b-waves of the saturating light response decreased significantly by 46% and 59%, respectively. The photopic a-wave and b-wave amplitudes were significantly lower after the translocation surgery resulting in a mean reduction of 27% and 43%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS—Although macular translocation may provide the potential of preserving and even restoring vision in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes secondary to AMD the present study indicates that a significant electrophysiological decrease is caused by surgical procedures associated with this technique. Further research is necessary to clarify if certain modifications of the surgical procedure are able to substantially reduce the neuroretinal trauma.



Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (117.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARMALY M. F. Ocular tolerance to silicones. I. Replacement of aqueous and vitreous by silicone fluids. Arch Ophthalmol. 1962 Sep;68:390–395. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1962.00960030394013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson D. H., Stern W. H., Fisher S. K., Erickson P. A., Borgula G. A. Retinal detachment in the cat: the pigment epithelial-photoreceptor interface. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1983 Jul;24(7):906–926. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berger A. S., Kaplan H. J. Clinical experience with the surgical removal of subfoveal neovascular membranes. Short-term postoperative results. Ophthalmology. 1992 Jun;99(6):969–976. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(92)31869-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blach R. K., Behrman J. The electrical activity of the eye in retinal detachment. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1967;87:263–266. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bressler N. M., Bressler S. B., Gragoudas E. S. Clinical characteristics of choroidal neovascular membranes. Arch Ophthalmol. 1987 Feb;105(2):209–213. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1987.01060020063030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Constable I., Mohamed S., Tan P. L. Super viscous silicone liquid in retinal surgery. Aust J Ophthalmol. 1982 Feb;10(1):5–11. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Curcio C. A., Medeiros N. E., Millican C. L. Photoreceptor loss in age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1996 Jun;37(7):1236–1249. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Faude F., Wiedemann P., Reichenbach A. A "detachment infusion" for macular translocation surgery. Retina. 1999;19(2):173–174. doi: 10.1097/00006982-199902000-00018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ferris F. L., 3rd, Kassoff A., Bresnick G. H., Bailey I. New visual acuity charts for clinical research. Am J Ophthalmol. 1982 Jul;94(1):91–96. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Frumar K. D., Gregor Z. J., Carter R. M., Arden G. B. Electroretinographic changes after vitrectomy and intraocular tamponade. Retina. 1985 Winter-Spring;5(1):16–21. doi: 10.1097/00006982-198500510-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fujikado T., Ohji M., Saito Y., Hayashi A., Tano Y. Visual function after foveal translocation with scleral shortening in patients with myopic neovascular maculopathy. Am J Ophthalmol. 1998 May;125(5):647–656. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(98)00021-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hamasaki D. I., Machemer R., Norton E. W. Experimental retinal detachment in the owl monkey. VI. The ERG of the detached and reattached retina. Albrecht Von Graefes Arch Klin Exp Ophthalmol. 1969;177(3):212–221. doi: 10.1007/BF00571786. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Imai K., Loewenstein A., de Juan E., Jr Translocation of the retina for management of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization I: experimental studies in the rabbit eye. Am J Ophthalmol. 1998 May;125(5):627–634. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(98)00023-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kim S. D., Nao-i N., Maruiwa F., Sawada A. Electrical responses from locally detached retina and its recovery after reattachment. Ophthalmologica. 1996;210(4):195–199. doi: 10.1159/000310707. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lafaut B. A., Bartz-Schmidt K. U., Vanden Broecke C., Aisenbrey S., De Laey J. J., Heimann K. Clinicopathological correlation in exudative age related macular degeneration: histological differentiation between classic and occult choroidal neovascularisation. Br J Ophthalmol. 2000 Mar;84(3):239–243. doi: 10.1136/bjo.84.3.239. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lambert H. M., Capone A., Jr, Aaberg T. M., Sternberg P., Jr, Mandell B. A., Lopez P. F. Surgical excision of subfoveal neovascular membranes in age-related macular degeneration. Am J Ophthalmol. 1992 Mar 15;113(3):257–262. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)71576-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Leibowitz H. M., Krueger D. E., Maunder L. R., Milton R. C., Kini M. M., Kahn H. A., Nickerson R. J., Pool J., Colton T. L., Ganley J. P. The Framingham Eye Study monograph: An ophthalmological and epidemiological study of cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and visual acuity in a general population of 2631 adults, 1973-1975. Surv Ophthalmol. 1980 May-Jun;24(Suppl):335–610. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Liang J. C., Fishman G. A., Huamonte F. U., Anderson R. J. Comparative electroretinograms in argon laser and xenon arc panretinal photocoagulation. Br J Ophthalmol. 1983 Aug;67(8):520–525. doi: 10.1136/bjo.67.8.520. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Machemer R., Steinhorst U. H. Retinal separation, retinotomy, and macular relocation: I. Experimental studies in the rabbit eye. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 1993 Nov;231(11):629–634. doi: 10.1007/BF00921956. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Machemer R., Steinhorst U. H. Retinal separation, retinotomy, and macular relocation: II. A surgical approach for age-related macular degeneration? Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 1993 Nov;231(11):635–641. doi: 10.1007/BF00921957. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Miller J. W., Schmidt-Erfurth U., Sickenberg M., Pournaras C. J., Laqua H., Barbazetto I., Zografos L., Piguet B., Donati G., Lane A. M. Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for choroidal neovascularization caused by age-related macular degeneration: results of a single treatment in a phase 1 and 2 study. Arch Ophthalmol. 1999 Sep;117(9):1161–1173. doi: 10.1001/archopht.117.9.1161. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Momirov D., van Lith G. H., Zivojnović R. Electroretinogram and electrooculogram of eyes with intravitreously injected silicone oil. Ophthalmologica. 1983;186(4):183–188. doi: 10.1159/000309284. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ninomiya Y., Lewis J. M., Hasegawa T., Tano Y. Retinotomy and foveal translocation for surgical management of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes. Am J Ophthalmol. 1996 Nov;122(5):613–621. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)70479-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Ober R. R., Blanks J. C., Ogden T. E., Pickford M., Minckler D. S., Ryan S. J. Experimental retinal tolerance to liquid silicone. Retina. 1983;3(2):77–85. doi: 10.1097/00006982-198300320-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Rendahl I. The electroretinogram in retinal detachment. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 1969 Winter;9(4):1025–1038. doi: 10.1097/00004397-196900940-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Schuurmans R. P., Lege W. A., Lith G. H., Oosterhuis J. A. The influence of photocoagulation of the retina on the electroretinogram. Doc Ophthalmol. 1977 Feb 28;42(2):369–373. doi: 10.1007/BF02742250. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Thomas M. A., Dickinson J. D., Melberg N. S., Ibanez H. E., Dhaliwal R. S. Visual results after surgical removal of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes. Ophthalmology. 1994 Aug;101(8):1384–1396. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(94)31172-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Thomas M. A., Grand M. G., Williams D. F., Lee C. M., Pesin S. R., Lowe M. A. Surgical management of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization. Ophthalmology. 1992 Jun;99(6):952–976. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(92)31888-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Walter P., Widder R. A., Lüke C., Königsfeld P., Brunner R. Electrophysiological abnormalities in age-related macular degeneration. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 1999 Dec;237(12):962–968. doi: 10.1007/s004170050331. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Young R. W. Pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration. Surv Ophthalmol. 1987 Mar-Apr;31(5):291–306. doi: 10.1016/0039-6257(87)90115-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. de Juan E., Jr, Loewenstein A., Bressler N. M., Alexander J. Translocation of the retina for management of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization II: a preliminary report in humans. Am J Ophthalmol. 1998 May;125(5):635–646. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(98)00018-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Ophthalmology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES