The macula is the part of your retina responsible for high definition central vision. Epiretinal membrane or macular pucker refers to the condition when cells proliferate over the surface of the macula and contract causing wrinkling of the macula. This leads to decreased vision as well as distortion of images. The condition is completely painless. If you develop such symptoms you should contact us and book an appointment with a retina specialist for evaluation.

If you have a macular pucker, your retinal specialist will be able to detect it on exam and with retinal imaging tests. Depending on your age, the severity of your condition, your visual needs and your tolerance for procedures, a treatment plan will be discussed with you. Not all patients with macular pucker require the same intervention. Different patients may require different treatment plans. However, the aim of any treatment plan is the same: stabilization or improvement of vision. Our retina specialists will work with you towards the best treatment plan that fits your specific condition. If your eyesight is threatened, expert care from a trusted leader is your safest path to saving your sight.

During your evaluation, the ophthalmic technician will measure your visual acuity using a vision chart. This helps us determine how well you see for distance. Then the technician will dilate your pupil using dilating eye drops in order for the retina specialist to be able to examine your retina fully. Using special light sources and condensing lenses, your physician then examines the inside of your eye. In addition, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) is obtained to assess the severity of the macular changes and the thickness of your macula. The OCT allows us to obtain a cross sectional views of the macula with three-dimensional images. It is important for treatment planning and for monitoring treatment outcomes.

Treatment options:
There are 2 main treatment options for epiretinal membrane depending on the condition of the patient and the severity of the disease. If the disease is minimal with minimal symptoms and good vision, then observation with frequent evaluations maybe all what is needed. In many cases the epiretinal membrane is mild and does not progress quickly allowing for stable good vision. If the membrane is severe and associated with significant visual decline and disturbances affecting the patient’s daily activities, then surgical peeling of the membrane from the surface of the macula may be needed. This surgery is technically delicate but very successful when performed by retina surgeons. Not all ophthalmologists are retina surgeons and specialists. Make sure an ophthalmologist specialized in retina surgery takes care of your condition.