Macular translocation surgery and retinal circulation times.

PURPOSE: To quantify and compare the retinal circulation times before and after macular translocation surgery.

METHODS: In nine patients undergoing macular translocation with 360-degree retinotomy, arm-retina and arteriovenous passage times were quantified from preoperative and postoperative scanning laser fluorescein angiograms. A control group of eight patients who had not undergone any intraocular surgery was also evaluated. The time that between injection into the antecubital vein and the appearance of fluorescein at two selected points on superotemporal and inferotemporal arteries near the disk provided the arm-retina time. For the arteriovenous passage time, 50% of the maximal fluorescence time difference was assessed from the intensity curves of arteries and corresponding veins at the same points for the arm-retina time. Postoperative measurements were obtained an average of 10.6 months after surgery.

RESULTS: No significant difference was noted between preoperative and postoperative values of the arm-retina time (mean +/- SD: 14.41 +/- 2.73 seconds versus 14.67 +/- 3.85 seconds, respectively; P = 0.84) or that of the arteriovenous passage time (2.66 +/- 0.74 seconds versus 2.47 +/- 0.68 seconds, respectively; P = 0.37) in the study group. The arm-retina time (14.96 +/- 2.01 seconds) and arteriovenous passage time (2.44 +/- 0.68 seconds) in the control group did not differ from preoperative and postoperative arm-retina times (P = 0.65 and P = 0.85) and arteriovenous passage times (P = 0.54 and P = 0.93) in the study group. The arteriovenous passage time correlated with the degree of retinal rotation around the optic disk in the study group (r = -0.70; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION: Macular translocation surgery does not alter retinal macrocirculation in the long term.