Autologous Iris transplant as plug for macular hole retinal detachment in highly myopic eyes

Abstract

Purpose To describe the anatomic and visual outcomes of eyes undergoing autologous iris transplantation for macular hole retinal detachment. Methods Seven consecutive patients with macular hole retinal detachment were enrolled in a single-arm prospective study. All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy with autologous iris transplantation placed in the subretinal space as a plug to close the macular hole; in one case, a posterior retinal break was also closed with the same technique. Results Seven patients (2 males and 5 females) with a mean age of 69.14 ± 7.79 years (range 58–80 years) were followed up for a period of six months. The best-corrected visual acuity improved from 2.44 ± 0.48 logMAR (20/2000) preoperatively to 1.90 ± 0.26 logMAR (20/800) 6 months after surgery. Optical coherence tomography analysis showed retinal adhesion around the iris plug, and the retina remained dry in the follow-up period. Conclusions In this series of macular hole retinal detachments, autologous iris transplantation placed as a plug over the retinal pigment epithelium facing the macular hole opening or directly over the bare sclera achieved anatomical success with improvement in visual function.