Objective: To evaluate the conversion of macular function in diabetic macular edema (DME) after vitreous surgery.
Methods: Seventeen eyes of 16 patients were assessed after pars plana vitrectomy for DME. Multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) techniques were used to evaluate the effects of treatment on macular visual function, and retinal foveal thickness was determined by optical coherence tomography before and after vitrectomy. Patients were followed up continually for 7 months. The correlation between the change of tomographic features and visual functions were analyzed.
Results: During the follow-up period, the retinal function in macular areas recovered and the foveal thickness decreased gradually. While compared with preoperative values, the response of positive wave (P1) have shown decreases in implicit time and increases in amplitude since the forth and fifth postoperative month respectively (P < 0.05). While compared between each postoperative period, the P1 responses have increased significantly since the forth postoperative month. The correlation between the increase of P1 amplitude in macular area and the decrease of retinal foveal thickness was significant (r = 0.954, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Macular function get improvement gradually in DME after vitreous surgery; The restoration of macular function is coincident with the reduction of macular edema.