Preoperative factors influencing visual outcome following surgical excision of subfoveal choroidal.

Purpose: To evaluate long-term visual acuity outcomes and the influences of various preoperative factors on visual outcome in patients undergoing surgical removal of choroidal neovascular neovascularization (CNV) caused by age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).

Methods: The authors studied 146 eyes of 146 patients who were followed for at least 1 year after surgical excision of CNV associated with ARMD. Surgical indications included subfoveal active CNV localized mainly above the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and a standard Japanese decimal visual acuity of 0.3 or worse. CNV above the RPE was diagnosed by fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography. CNVs were divided into completely classic CNV or mainly classic CNV. The relationships of the post-operative logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity with preoperative logMAR visual acuity, the shortest distance from the center of the foveal avascular zone to the CNV margin, CNV size, and age were analyzed.

Results: Final logMAR visual acuity was improved (defined as a logMAR visual acuity increase of 0.2 or more) in 78 eyes (54%), stable in 47 (32%), and worsened in 21 (14%). Stepwise regression identified CNV size as a significant factor influencing final logMAR visual acuity (R2 = 0.213, p<0.0001), while preoperative logMAR visual acuity, shortest distance from the center of the foveal avascular zone to the CNV margin, and age showed no significant correlation with final logMAR visual acuity. Surgical complications included retinal detachment in six eyes (4%), subretinal hematoma in four eyes (2%), macular hole in three (2%), and proliferative vitreoretinopathy in two (1%). CNV recurred postoperatively in 18 eyes (12%). In 92 eyes with completely classic CNV, visual acuity was improved in 57 (62%), stable in 27 (29%), and worsened in 8 (9%). In 54 eyes with mainly classic CNV, visual acuity was improved in 21(39%), stable in 20 (37%), and worsened in 13 (24%).

Conclusions: Surgical excision of CNV for ARMD was effective for completely classic CNV, and better postoperative visual acuity was achieved in cases of small CNV. Given the fact that photodynamic therapy (PDT) has only been used in Japan since 2004, future study should compare PDT and surgical excision in Japanese subjects for relative merits against surgical risk and postoperative complications, to define indications for PDT and surgical excision.