Macular hole

A macular hole is a full thickness defect at the center of the macula, the portion of the retina responsible for central vision. Imagine the film of a camera, where a hole is punched out at the center of the film. You can probably infer that the resulting picture would be clear in the periphery with a missing area in the center. With a macular hole, a blind spot is noted in the central field of vision. The peripheral vision is not affected by a macular hole except in rare events when a retinal detachment due to a hole occurs. A macular hole develops most often due to traction on the macula exerted by the vitreous, the gel which occupies the back compartment of the eye where the retina is located.

Photo of OCT Macula of normal eye and eye with hole

Treatment of a macular hole is usually a surgery called vitrectomy. With the surgery, the vitreous is removed and replaced with a temporary bubble of gas in the eye. Face down positioning is required after the surgery so that the gas bubble which floats upward may assist in pushing the edges of the hole together to seal it. In a few cases, an injection of medication called Jetrea could be considered as an alternative to vitrectomy. At the Retina Centers of Washington we have extensive experience with macular hole surgery and patients typically have good anatomical and visual outcomes.

COVID-19 Update

Retina Centers of Washington COVID-19 Safety Protocol

Dear Valued Patients and Friends,

We are truly grateful for the love and support you’ve provided us over the past few months as we navigated through the pandemic. With your continued support, we have been able to stay open, through this entire pandemic, to treat our patients' essential eye care needs.

The safety of our patients, and our staff members, is our top priority; therefore, we have implemented safety protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Here are some of our new safety procedures that are currently in place for when you visit our office(s).

Prior to Your Appointment:

· You will be pre-screened over the phone when scheduling your appointment.

· If you have symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, we ask that you call and reschedule your appointment.

· If you have been exposed to anyone with the virus, we ask that you call and reschedule your appointment.

· We will minimize the number of people in the practice (please come alone unless there is a true need for someone to accompany you).

· We request that anyone accompanying you to wait safely in their car, unless it is truly necessary for them to come into your appointment with you. We truly appreciate your cooperation on this.

Once You arrive:

· We are requiring all patients to arrive wearing a mask (we will provide one if needed), and that it is properly worn through the entire visit.

· We will check your temperature upon your arrival.

· We request that patients use hand sanitizer upon arrival and departure of our office.

· We have reduced the number of chairs in the waiting area to respect physical distance protocol.

· All magazines and brochures have been removed.

Staff and Strict Cleaning Protocols:

· We complete daily prescreening for COVID symptoms for Staff, and Doctors.

· All Staff members will be using PPE and wearing masks at all times, including our providers. A face shield and gloves will be worn as needed.

· Our staff regularly performs surface cleaning of frequently touched areas throughout the day.

· Our waiting room, exam rooms, testing equipment, and other common areas are cleaned and sterilized after every patient appointment.

We thank you for your patience with all these changes, and for your cooperation as we continue to safely navigate through the pandemic. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 301-279-9124 and we will be glad to help you!