Long-term Follow-up of Full Macular Translocation for Choroidal Neovascularization

PURPOSE: To report the long-term (>5 years) results of full macular translocation in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV). DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional case series. METHODS: This study involved 32 eyes of 32 patients who had undergone full macular translocation for CNV. The median follow-up was 6.5 years (range, 5.2 to 7.7 years). We evaluated the best-corrected visual acuity, fundus examination results obtained before and 1 and 5 years after operation, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: At the 1-year follow-up, foveal retinal pigment epithelium atrophy was observed in only 3 eyes (12%), and the mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity (VA) at that time (1.39 +/- 0.67) was not significantly changed from that before surgery (logMAR, 1.31 +/- 0.66) in 25 eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, at 5-year follow-up, foveal retinal pigment epithelium atrophy increased (18 eyes; 72%), and final mean logMAR VA (1.88 +/- 0.76) was significantly lower (P < .01). Five eyes with myopic CNV maintained their VA from before operation (mean logMAR, 0.88 +/- 0.35) until final follow-up (mean logMAR, 0.73 +/- 0.31). The final VA was significantly better in myopic CNV than in exudative age-related macular degeneration on multiple regression analysis (P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow-up of full macular translocation showed that the final VA was poor in age-related macular degeneration, but relatively better in myopic CNV. (Am J Ophthalmol 2010;149:453-457. (C) 2010 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)