Alterations of Foveal Architecture during Vitrectomy for Myopic Retinoschisis Identified by Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: To determine the changes in the foveal architecture before and after internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling with and without fovea-sparing ILM peeling (FSIP) during vitrectomy for high myopic retinoschisis by intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT). Methods: Qualitative assessments were made of the alterations of the retinal architecture imaged by iOCT following complete ILM peeling (peeled group) or fovea-sparing ILM peeling (FSIP group). A microscope-integrated real-time iOCT device was used to analyze the retinal architectures. The alterations included a worsening of the retinoschisis, development of a foveal detachment, and development of a full thickness macular hole. The changes in the retinal architecture, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The medical records of 15 eyes of 15 patients were studied. Complete ILM peeling was performed on 9 of 15 eyes, and 8 of the 9 eyes (89%) showed a worsening of the retinal architectures following the ILM peeling. FSIP was performed on 6 of the 15 eyes, and none of these eyes developed any retinal architectural changes in the iOCT images. The mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in eyes that underwent FSIP (20/38) was significantly better than that of preoperative BCVA (20/128; p < 0.05), although the differences in the preoperative BCVA (20/87) and postoperative BCVA (20/55) in the cases that underwent complete ILM peeling were not significant. Conclusions: The lack of alterations of the foveal architecture and significant improvements in the BCVA after FSIP indicate that FSIP peeling should be considered for eyes with retinoschisis. We recommend that iOCT be used to monitor the retinal architecture during intraocular surgery involving the retina.