Intraoperative slow-release dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex) in epiretinal membrane peeling surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Purpose : This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the dexamethasone (DEX) intravitreal implant for the regression of macular edema and the improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after the removal of idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Methods : This prospective randomized controlled trial recruited 81 patients with idiopathic ERM. These patients all underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy combined with ERM and internal limiting membrane peeling surgery. Among them, 41 eyes in the DEX group received additional DEX implants and 40 in the non-DEX group did not. Outcomes including central retinal thickness (CRT), BCVA, and intraocular pressure were measured 1 and 3 months after surgery. Results : The DEX group had thinner CRTs compared to the non-DEX group at 1 month postoperatively ( p <0.05), but did not differ significantly at the 1-week and 3-month follow-up visits ( p = 0.109 and p = 0.417, respectively). There were no statistical differences with respect to BCVA ( p = 0.499, 0.309, 0.246, and 0.517, respectively) and intraocular pressure ( p = 0.556, 0.639, 0.741, and 0.517, respectively) between the two groups at each point of follow-up visits. Conclusion : DEX accelerated the reduction of CRT at 1 month after surgery. However, no evidence of further anatomical (CRT) or functional (BCVA) benefits using DEX was observed at 3 months. Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT05416827.