RELAXING NASAL RETINOTOMY TECHNIQUE FOR CLOSURE OF A MACULAR HOLE THAT REOPENED AFTER PRIMARY VITRECTOMY.

PURPOSE: To describe relaxing nasal retinotomy as a technique to achieve closure of a recurrent macular hole.

METHODS: A patient with juxtafoveal telangiectasia presented with recurrent macular hole after primary vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peel. During repeat surgery, a superonasal retinotomy was performed to allow for release of tangential traction contributing to the macular hole.

RESULTS: Intraoperative ocular coherence tomography demonstrated decrease in size of the macular hole immediately after retinotomy. At follow-up, both the macular hole and retinotomy site had closed completely.

CONCLUSION: In patients with small macular holes that fail primary vitrectomy, nasal relaxing retinotomy can contribute to successful hole closure.