A study analyzing macular microvasculature features after vitrectomy using OCT angiography in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane

Background To evaluate postoperative changes in retinal capillary plexus and to assess contributing factors in postoperative visual improvement using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) post membrane removal. Methods Patients scheduled for vitrectomy and membrane peel for iERM were enrolled. 35 subjects were included for this study. OCT-A was used to measure the FAZ related parameters and the superficial and deep capillary plexus layers using 3 mm × 3 mm scans. Measurements were taken before surgery and at every post-surgical follow-up. The unaffected fellow eyes were used as controls. Evaluated factors included: BCVA, vessel density (VD) and retinal thickness (RT) in five regions, FAZ area, FAZ perimeter (PERIM), acircularity index (AI) and foveal vessel density (FD). Results Compared with the control group, the foveal vessel density (FVD) in superficial capillary plexus (SCP) was greater in the epi-retinal membrane group ( P < 0.0001), whereas both groups had comparable parafoveal vessel density (PRVD) in SCP ( p > 0.05). After surgery there was a reduction in the PRVD in SCP. The FVD in DCP increased and the PRVD in DCP decreased at baseline ( p < 0.001). After surgery there was an increase in PRVD in DCP. By 6 months post-op, the PRVD had no statistically significant difference compared with the control group ( p > 0.05). D-value of LogMAR BCVA was positively correlated with pre-op LogMAR BCVA ( p < 0.0001), FVD in SCP ( p < 0.001). It was negatively correlated with FAZ area ( P < 0.001) and PERIM ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Vitrectomy and membrane removal led to the decrease of VD in SCP and the increase of PRVD in DCP. Patients with a more severe iERM may receive greater visual improvement with surgery. Trial registration Trial registration number (TRN) and date of registration. ChiCTR2000031289 , retrospectively registered, 2020.03.26.