What causes vitreomacular traction?

As we age, the vitreous becomes more watery. It may eventually separate from the retina in a process known as posterior vitreous detachment. If the vitreous doesn’t fully separate from the retina, the remaining partially attached vitreous can pull and distort the macula. This is vitreomacular traction.

What are the symptoms of vitreomacular traction?

The most common symptoms of vitreomacular traction (VMT) include:

• distorted vision that makes a grid of straight lines appear wavy, blurry, or blank.
• seeing flashes of light in your vision.
• seeing objects as smaller than their actual size.

Is vitreomacular traction an emergency?

Treatment is not necessary if symptoms are mild. However, when vitreomacular traction causes visual loss or the symptoms start to interfere with normal daily activities, then surgery is recommended. In most cases, vitrectomy surgery is the most effective treatment to release the vitreomacular traction.

How painful is a vitrectomy?

You might have some pain in your eye and your vision may be blurry for a few days after the surgery. You will need 2 to 4 weeks to recover before you can do your normal activities again. It may take longer for your vision to get back to normal.

What is the success rate of a vitrectomy?

The success rate for vitrectomy is around 90 percent, even if you’re over 60.

Is vitrectomy a major surgery?

Vitrectomy procedures are an effective surgery and severe complications are rare. According to the American Society of Retina Specialists, most surgeries have a 90 percent success rate.

What is the Tracción vitreomacular?

¿Qué es la tracción vitreomacular? The middle of the eye is filled with a substance called vitreous. In the healthy, young eye, this clear, gel-like substance is firmly attached to the retina and the macula by millions of microscopic fibers. As the eye ages, or as a result of eye disease, the vitreous shrinks and pulls away from the retina.

What is the V-shaped vitreofoveolar traction?

The V shaped VMT (also called the vitreofoveolar traction) was commonly associated with tractional foveal detachment preoperatively and a favorable surgical outcome (anatomic and visual restoration).

What is the medical treatment for vitreomacular traction syndrome (VMT)?

The medical therapy of VMT consists of pharmacologic vitreolysis. Pictorial representation of vitreoretinal interface and tractional forces active in vitreomacular traction: Solid black arrows represent posterior to anterior forces generated by the vitreous due to liquefaction and condensation.

How is vitreomacular attachment identified in VMT using C-SCAN OCT images?

En-face imaging of VMT using coronal C-scans from OCT shows sigmoid shaped hyperreflective bands within the hyporeflective vitreous. The exact sites of vitreomacular attachment in relation to the optic disc, macula, and the vascular arcades can be traced by overlay of C-scan OCT images on red-free confocal images.