Surgery for epiretinal membrane using three different surgical platforms: A comparative pilot study

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Study Overview

This study compares different methods for removing epiretinal membranes (ERM) using advanced surgical technologies.

PURPOSE

The aim was to see how effective dye-assisted peeling is with a standard microscope compared to dye-free methods using two different advanced systems: microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography (Mi-OCT) and a three-dimensional heads-up display (3D-HUD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A pilot study was conducted where patients needing ERM surgery were randomly assigned to three groups:

Group A: Mi-OCT without dye
Group B: 3D-HUD without dye
Group C: Dye-assisted peeling with a standard operating microscope

The main outcomes measured included the success rate of ERM removal, complications during and after surgery, and visual improvement three months later. Secondary outcomes tracked the total time for surgery and peeling.

RESULTS

The study found:

Complete ERM removal was achieved in 80% of cases using Mi-OCT and 70% with 3D-HUD without dye.
There were no recurrences of ERM in the groups without dye, but there was one recurrence (10%) in the dye-assisted group.
All groups showed significant visual improvement after three months.
Surgery and peeling times were shorter for the Mi-OCT and 3D-HUD groups compared to the dye-assisted method.

DISCUSSION

While Mi-OCT and 3D-HUD were effective and reduced surgery time, dye-assisted peeling had a higher success rate in complete ERM removal. All groups showed improvement in vision by three months, with no significant differences between the methods. However, costs and the learning curve for new technology can limit their use. More research is needed to confirm these results over a longer period and to explore the potential risks of using dye.

CONCLUSION

Both innovative methods (Mi-OCT and 3D-HUD) resulted in faster surgeries without dye but did not show a significant advantage over traditional methods by the three-month follow-up.

Opportunities for Clinics and Patients

Potential improvements in ERM surgery based on this data include:

Setting clear goals for measurable outcomes in visual acuity and surgery time.
Selecting AI tools that can support these new surgical methods effectively.
Implementing pilot projects to track results and make adjustments based on data.