Long-term follow-up of macular translocation with 360 degrees retinotomy for exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Objective: To assess long-term functional and morphological changes after macular translocation in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.
Methods: Evaluation of a noncomparative cohort study of 90 patients with a follow-up of 14 to 79 months (mean, 38.2 months).
Results: Visual acuity increased by 3 or more lines in 15 patients, remained stable in 35 patients, and deteriorated in 40 patients at final examination. Pigment epithelium atrophy extending to the new fovea was detected in 44 patients; in 25 patients this new atrophy was associated with loss of visual function.
Conclusions: Long-term follow-up of macular translocation with 360 degrees retinotomy showed stabilization or improvement in half of the patients. Progressive atrophy of the pigment epithelium represented one major limiting factor of the beneficial effect of the treatment. Macular translocation may be an option for cases of exudative age-related macular degeneration that are not eligible for or do not respond to alternative treatments.