Effects of Vitrectomy on Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose To determine whether vitrectomy alters the long-term progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Retrospective case-control study. Participants Forty-four eyes of 22 patients with AMD who underwent vitrectomy in 1 eye were included in the study. The progression of AMD at follow-up in the 22 eyes that underwent vitrectomy was compared with the 22 fellow, nonvitrectomized eyes. Methods The charts and photographs of subjects with Age-Related Eye Disease Study category 3 AMD in both eyes who previously underwent vitrectomy surgery for an epiretinal membrane or macular hole were reviewed. Subjects were excluded if they had had a vitrectomy in both eyes, had