Vitrectomy for chronic macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion

PURPOSE: To study the outcome after vitrectomy for chronic and acute macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical charts of fifty-five patients (55 eyes) who underwent vitrectomy for macular edema associated with BRVO were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were followed up for more than one year after the vitrectomy. We compared the visual and structural outcome between an early group (i. e., edema lasting less than one year) and a late group (i.e., edema lasting more than one year). RESULTS: The mean visual acuity improved significantly from 0.088 to 0.163 in the early group and from 0.147 to 0.132 in the late group. Seventy percent of the cases improved in angiographic findings and eighty percent of the cases improved in optical coherence tomography findings. CONCLUSIONS: Vitrectomy for chronic macular edema even lasting more than one year after BRVO seems to be effective, depending on the case.