Visual acuity after vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane peeling with or without premacular indocyanine green injection.

PURPOSE To compare postoperative visual acuity of eyes operated for an epiretinal membrane (ERM), with or without intraoperative intraocular indocyanine green (ICG) injection. METHODS Retrospective study of 75 pseudophakic eyes with epiretinal membrane operated by vitrectomy-peeling. In 20 cases operated in 2001 and 2002 (Group 1), ICG diluted in 5% glucose solution was injected intraoperatively into the vitreous. In another group of 55 cases operated between 1996 and 1999 (Group 2), ICG was not used. RESULTS The mean visual acuity was 0.32(+1) and 0.32(+2) preoperatively, 0.4(+2) and 0.5 at 1 month, and 0.63 and 0.63(+2) on the final examination in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. Visual acuities were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Premacular injection of ICG during vitrectomy to facilitate epiretinal membrane peeling did not appear to compromise postoperative improvement of visual acuity. However, its use is questioned since it did not yield better postoperative results and because potential toxic adverse reactions could not be excluded by this study.