Cellular membranes growing on the inner
retinal surface occur in various ocular disorders, and modern methods of vitreous surgery permit removal of these membranes in selected cases. The surgical treatment of
epiretinal membranes complicating proliferative retinopathies and rhegmatogenous
retinal detachment is briefly described, and the results of such surgery in a series of thirteen consecutive eyes with
macular pucker after otherwise successful surgery for rhegmatogenous
retinal detachment are presented in detail. A technically successful result with visual improvement was achieved in each of the thirteen eyes. An iatrogenic
retinal tear (successfully repaired) occurred in one eye, and recurrent
retinal detachment requiring an additional operation occurred postoperatively in two eyes. Progression of
lens opacities occurred postoperatively in four of six phakic eyes, and one eye later required
cataract extraction. Despite such risks, and the fact that the best postoperative visual acuity achieved was 20/30, use of
vitrectomy methods to remove
epiretinal membranes can provide significant visual improvement in selected cases.