Features of regenerative processes in microstructures of the foveolar region after surgery of primary complete macular openings by the method of «temporal inverted ILM flap»

Purpose. To study the features of regenerative processes occurring in the microstructures of the foveolar region after successful surgery of the primary full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) by the method of «temporal inverted ILM flap». Material and methods. Using spectral optical coherence tomography (SOCT), the features of regenerative processes in the microstructures of the foveolar region were studied in 31 patients (32 eyes) with stage II-IV FTMH according to J. Gass (1995), who were successfully operated on for this reason. Results. Regenerative processes of gradual restoration of microstructures of the foveolar region began from the first days after surgery and continued for 1 year. As a result, the U-shaped foveolar contour was restored, the central retinal thickness changed (from 399±61.4 to 195±61 microns, p<0.05); the external limiting membrane (ELM) and the ellipsoid zone (EZ) were completely restored in 27/32 (84.4%) and 23/32 (71.8%) eyes, respectively. Conclusion. Regenerative processes in the microstructures of the foveolar zone are of a step-by-step nature and are traced for one year after the surgery of the primary FTMH by the method of «temporal inverted ILM flap». The essence of the processes: overlapping FTMH with flaps of ILM, filling its lumen with a «glial plug», restoring the ELM, EZ and interdigitative zones. Key words: foveal microstructure, primary full-thickness macular holes, temporal inverted ILM flap, optical coherence tomography.