Ethnic variation in primary idiopathic macular hole surgery

Purpose The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of ethnicity on idiopathic macular holes (IMH) structure and surgical outcome. This was a retrospective review. Patients and methods Consecutive patients undergoing primary IMH surgery at two surgical sites of Moorfields Eye Hospital (London, UK) between April 2012 and June 2013. The main outcome measure was post surgical anatomical closure of IMH. Results Two hundred and twenty two primary IMH surgeries were undertaken. A standard procedure including pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and gas tamponade was undertaken for all cases. 61.3% of patients were Caucasian, 21.2% were South Asian, and 16% were Afro-Caribbean. The mean minimum linear diameter (MLD) for our cohort was 434.6 mcm. Mean MLD was 395.3 mcm in Caucasian patients, 490.0 mcm in South Asians ( P =0.006), and 491.4 mcm in Afro-Caribbeans ( P =0.007). Regression analysis demonstrated that MLD and Afro-Caribbean ethnicity were independent significant risk factors for surgical failure (OR: 1.01, P