Macular Holes & Macular Pucker
If you’ve been diagnosed with a macular hole or pucker, you’ll want to ensure that you are under the care of an experienced and dedicated retinal specialist.
At Retina Associates of Middle Georgia, our eye doctors have the training and knowledge necessary to ensure that your treatment produces the best vision outcome possible.
What is a Macular Pucker?
A macular pucker is an eye condition that can cause blurry or distorted vision. The macula is a specific spot on your retina that is responsible for your central vision.
To focus and see clearly when looking directly at something, the macula must lay flat against the back of your eye. As you age, the vitreous gel that fills the inside of your eye begins to change and shrink.
Sometimes, when this gel shrinks, it can pull or tug on the retina. This is called a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD.
If PVD tugs on the retina and causes damage, scar tissue will form over that damage. Sometimes, this scar tissue forms over the macula.
A macular pucker forms when this scar tissue wrinkles or bulges over the macula.
What Are Macular Holes?
A macular hole is similar to a macular pucker in the way that it affects the same area on the retina. A macular hole also causes your vision to be blurry or for you to have blind spots.
Macular holes can also occur due to natural changes that happen in your eye as a side effect of aging. Aging is the most common cause of macular holes.
If you have a PVD, it’s possible that the vitreous detachment can tug on the retina. If the retina pulls off the macula, a hole can form over this area.
A macular hole is much more likely to cause permanent vision loss than a macular pucker.
What Are Symptoms of Macular Holes and Macular Pucker?
Symptoms may vary from person to person depending on the severity of the macular hole or macular pucker. However, there are some common symptoms, including:
• The inability to make out the details of objects, regardless of their position from you
• A blind or dark spot in the central vision, making it difficult to make out faces or details of objects
• Change in vision where everything appears more blurry or foggy
The symptoms of a macular pucker are similar:
The symptoms of a macular pucker are similar:
• Vision appears blurry or cloudy
• Straight lines appear wavy or curvy
• Unable to see fine details of objects
How Do Eye Doctors Treat Macular Holes and Macular Pucker?
Treatment for macular pucker and macular holes varies depending on the severity. In some minor cases, your eye doctor may treat these conditions with thorough and regular monitoring.
If the condition does not cause severe vision issues, your eye doctor may see you on a regular basis to ensure the condition is not worsening or causing further vision problems. However, some cases of macular holes and macular pucker warrant surgery to prevent further damage or attempt to repair vision.
If your vision is significantly affected by macular pucker, your eye doctor may perform a procedure called a vitrectomy and membrane peel. During this procedure, your eye doctor will remove the gel from the eye and the scar tissue that has formed over the macula.
To treat a macular hole, your eye doctor may also recommend a vitrectomy. Then, they will likely inject a bubble into your eye to temporarily help the retina tissue adhere together.
Do you want to learn more about macular holes or macular puckers? Schedule an appointment at Retina Associates of Middle Georgia in Warner Robins, GA, today!
