Macular Hole Specialist

What is a macular hole?

A macular hole is an opening or tear in your macula, a part of the retina in the back of your eye. A hole in the macula can distort central vision but often doesn’t affect your peripheral (side) vision. Prompt treatment can restore your vision and quality of life.

What are the symptoms of a macular hole?

If you experience the following signs or symptoms of a macular hole, see Retina Consultants Ltd. for an evaluation:

• Vision distortion
• Blurriness
• Straight lines that look wavy
• Difficulty reading
• Decreased ability to see fine details
• Foggy vision
• A dark spot in your vision

If you have a macular hole, it’s often in just one eye. The size of a macular hole and where it’s at determine the severity of vision issues you’re experiencing.

What are the risk factors for a macular hole?

Your risk of developing macular holes increases with age and results when a gel-like substance called vitreous shrinks and pulls away from the surface of your retina. Macular holes might coincide with near-sightedness, an eye disease, or an eye injury.

How is a macular hole diagnosed?

To diagnose a macular hole, your ophthalmologist reviews your medical and vision history. They complete a comprehensive eye exam, including a dilated eye exam, and take pictures of your eye using a special machine that scans the back of the eye. The procedure is called optical coherence tomography (OCT). It provides detailed pictures of the macula and retina.

What is the treatment for a macular hole?

If your eye doctor detects a macular hole, they can recommend one of the following treatments:

Injections

In the case of a small macular hole, your eye doctor might use eye injections to release traction associated with the hole and allow it to close. Your provider numbs your eye prior to the injection so you don’t feel any discomfort.

Surgery

Eye surgery is a common treatment for a macular hole. Your eye doctor uses a local anesthetic prior to surgery so you’re awake but don’t feel any pain. They remove a portion of gellike vitreous from your eye to reduce traction and pulling on the macula. Your retina specialist uses sterile gas to put pressure on your macula while it heals.

Don’t let a macular hole progress to serious vision and eye complications. Schedule an eye exam with Retina Consultants Ltd. over the phone or online today.