Macular holes can threaten your vision, and their spontaneous arrival can often mean that you’ll need to make some rapid decisions. Although there isn’t a perfect way to prevent their development, it does help to know your risk factors. Women and people over the age of 55 are more likely to develop macular holes, which you might not be able to do much about. However, you can protect your eyes while playing sports, manage your diabetes, and stay on top of your regular eye exams to lower your risk for developing this serious eye condition. Once you have a macular hole, your Brooklyn retina doctor will help you select from the following treatment options.

Undergo a Vitrectomy

Vitreoretinal surgery is the most common form of treatment for macular holes. While the prospect of having surgery on your eye might cause some anxiety, the top retina specialists NY patients go to use state-of-the-art equipment to perform what is a rather straightforward procedure. During your surgery, your eye doctor will remove the vitreous gel from your eye to reduce the pressure that it is placing on your retina. Then, they’ll place a gas bubble in your eye to help hold the edges of the hole together while you heal. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis, and it has a 90% success rate for helping people regain some or most of the vision that the hole caused them to lose.

Use an Injection to Promote Healing

If your macular hole is caused by vitreomacular traction, then you might have the option of using a special injection of medication to treat the condition. The injection causes the vitreous jelly to separate from the back portion of the eye, which alleviates the pulling and makes it possible for your hole to close up. The injection works best on holes that are in their early stages, and an eye doctor might use this option as an initial treatment to see how it works before moving on to performing surgery.

Try Watchful Waiting

Sometimes, the best treatment is no treatment. While this is rarer, there is a possibility that your eye doctor will simply suggest observing a small hole to see if it heals on its own. They may also recommend this strategy if the hole already shows some signs of self-healing. If you can choose this option, then you can expect to see your eye doctor for more frequent checkups to see if it is healing properly.

As you might have noticed, treatment for macular holes is easier when they are caught in their earliest stages and are still very small. Always make sure to reach out to your eye doctor if you experience changes in your vision, such as distorted or wavy lines. You’ll also want to stay on track with your regular eye exams when you have risk factors such as aging or diabetes that impact your life. Even if you need surgery, working with an experienced eye doctor ensures you feel more confident about undergoing a vision-saving procedure.