Full-Thickness Macular Hole Surgery: A Comparison of Ten Techniques
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV)-Based Macular Hole Surgery, Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), Human Amniotic Membrane (hAM) Graft.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Macular Holes. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Kazakhstan
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Vitreoretinal Surgery for Full-Thickness Macular Hole: A Comparative Study of Ten Techniques
Overview
This study compares ten modern vitreoretinal surgical techniques for full-thickness macular hole repair. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the surgical approaches during pars plana vitrectomy, using stratified randomization based on macular hole size to ensure balanced groups. The main goal is to determine which technique provides the highest anatomical closure rate on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the best visual outcomes. Follow-up visits are scheduled at Day 7, Month 1, and Year 1 after surgery to assess OCT findings, visual acuity, safety outcomes, and the need for reoperation.
Detailed description
Full-thickness macular hole is a vision-threatening condition that is commonly treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. While standard approaches achieve high closure rates in many cases, outcomes may vary depending on macular hole size and OCT morphology, and advanced surgical strategies (e.g., different ILM flap configurations, adjunctive biologic augmentation, hydrodissection, or grafting techniques) are increasingly used in clinical practice.
This single-center, randomized, parallel-group interventional study will compare ten PPV-based surgical techniques for full-thickness macular hole repair. Eligible participants will include adults with full-thickness macular hole across a broad range of minimum linear diameter (MLD), including MLD \<250 µm. After eligibility confirmation and informed consent, participants will be randomized to one of the ten procedure groups. Randomization will be stratified by macular hole size into five predefined MLD strata to ensure balanced distribution of hole sizes across all intervention groups. Postoperative care and follow-up procedures will be standardized across groups according to the study protocol.
Follow-up visits are scheduled at Day 7, Month 1, and Year 1 after surgery and will include clinical examinations and OCT imaging. The primary endpoint is anatomical macular hole closure on OCT at the prespecified primary time point. Secondary endpoints include best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), OCT-based morphologic recovery parameters, intraoperative and postoperative complication rates, reoperation rates, and adverse event information through Year 1. The study aims to generate evidence to guide selection of surgical technique based on macular hole morphometric and clinical characteristics while maintaining patient safety.
Interventions
- Procedure Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV)-Based Macular Hole Surgery
Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for full-thickness macular hole repair performed according to the randomized assigned technique (e.g., ERM peel, ILM peeling, ILM flap configurations, or macular edge hydrodissection), as specified in the protocol. - Biological Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) applied intraoperatively to the macular hole area as an adjunct to surgery, according to the study protocol. - Other Human Amniotic Membrane (hAM) Graft
Human amniotic membrane (hAM) graft placed intraoperatively for macular hole repair, according to the study protocol.
Primary outcome measures
- Macular Hole Closure at 7 days [Time frame: 7 day]
- Macular Hole Closure at 1month [Time frame: 1 month]
- Macular Hole Closure at 1 Year [Time frame: 1 year]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- BCVA at Day 7 [Time frame: 7 days]
- BCVA at 1 Month [Time frame: 1 month]
- BCVA at 1 Year [Time frame: 1 year]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
Adults aged ≥18 years.
Full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) eligible for pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).
Symptom duration ≤12 months.
Clear ocular media sufficient for high-quality OCT imaging.
No prior pars plana vitrectomy in the study eye.
No severe foveal atrophy on OCT.
Able and willing to comply with postoperative positioning and follow-up visits.
Written informed consent provided.
Exclusion criteria
A. Etiology-Related / Secondary Macular Holes:
Traumatic macular hole.
High myopia with posterior staphyloma (axial length >28 mm and/or spherical equivalent ≤-8.0 D).
Diabetic tractional retinal detachment (TRD) or significant tractional maculopathy.
Retinal vascular occlusion-related macular hole.
Uveitis-related macular hole.
Advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with foveal atrophy.
B. Prior Interventions:
Any prior pars plana vitrectomy in the study eye.
C. Ocular Conditions That May Affect Outcomes or Safety:
Active or recent ocular infection or inflammation (e.g., uveitis, endophthalmitis, keratitis).
Uncontrolled glaucoma (intraocular pressure >28 mmHg despite treatment).
Media opacity precluding adequate OCT (e.g., dense cataract or corneal opacity).
Geographic atrophy involving the fovea.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Kazakhstan · 1 center
- Kazakh Eye Research Institute — Almaty
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07606404 · IRB-538-2026