Tamponade-free superior ILM flap for idiopathic macular hole repair: a pilot study.

StudyGraefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie· Jul 2026

Tamponade-free superior ILM flap for idiopathic macular hole repair: a pilot study.

Androniki Zampogianni, Stergios Ntikos, Nikolaos Moraitis … Petros Petrou

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RetinaStudyTreatmentQ1IF 3.1

Tamponade-free internal limiting membrane flap achieved primary macular hole closure after one surgery

Tamponade-free superior ILM flap for idiopathic macular hole repair: a pilot study.

Androniki Zampogianni … Petros Petrou

Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology · Jul 2026 · Q1 in Ophthalmology

Purpose

To report the feasibility, anatomical closure, and visual outcomes after a tamponade-free, perfluorocarbon liquid (perfluorocarbon liquid)-free, viscoelastic-assisted superior internal limiting membrane (internal limiting membrane) flap technique for idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (full-thickness macular holes).

Methods

Prospective, non-comparative pilot study of consecutive adults with idiopathic full-thickness macular holes undergoing 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy, superior internal limiting membrane flap creation and intraoperative stabilization with dispersive viscoelastic.

n = 26 cases

96.2%

Results

96.2%

surgery closed the hole on the first try for nearly all patients

n = 26 cases

More results

The mean age was 72.2 ± 8.5 years (range 51-88).

Mean minimum linear diameter (minimum linear diameter) was 341.2 ± 191.8 μm (range 50-775 μm); 9 holes were small (< 250 μm), 10 were medium (250-400 μm), and 7 were large (> 400 μm).

The mean duration of symptoms was 4.85 ± 3.34 months.

More results

Best-corrected visual acuity improved significantly (from 1.12 logMAR, to 0.46 logMAR, p < 0.001).

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

In this prospective pilot series, a perfluorocarbon liquid-free, tamponade/air-free, viscoelastic-assisted superior internal limiting membrane flap technique was associated with a high primary closure rate without postoperative positioning.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Larger comparative studies with longer follow-up are needed to assess generalizability and complication rates, particularly for large macular holes.

Tamponade-free superior ILM flap for idiopathic macular hole repair: a pilot study.

Tamponade-free superior ILM flap for idiopathic macular hole repair: a pilot study.

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