[Removal of the juxtafoveal neovascular membrane in age-related macular degeneration].

Surgical extraction of the submascular neovascular membrane (SNM) is one of the new indications for surgery of the macula. The functional results after surgical extraction of the SNM depend on the state of the submascular pigmented epithelium and neuroepithelium which is, last not least, conditioned by the etiology of SNM. The majority of SNM in age-related macular degenerations has a poor prognosis, These SNM are as a rule nourished from several vascular sources and markedly destroy the pigmented epithelium because they penetrate beneath and above it. The authors evaluate in the submitted paper the results of surgical removal of the SNM in two eyes of two patients with age-related macular degeneration. Despite the relatively favourable juxtafoveal localization of the membrane, a non-complicated course of the operation and postoperative course the functional result of the operation in the two eyes was not very satisfactory. Chorioretinal scars with extensive defects of the pigmented epithelium in the region of the macula were the cause of a decline of visual acuity to a level which however could be hardly preserved by a conservative procedure.