Macular Pucker / Epiretinal Membrane

The eye is like a camera. There are lenses in the front of the eye which focus light onto the back of the eye. The light is focused onto a thin membrane in the back of the eye known as the retina. The retina is like the film in a camera. The retina is the light sensitive membrane in the back of the eye. Within the retina there is a small area known as the macula. The macula is the portion of the retina responsible for fine vision and color vision.

As one gets older a variety of conditions can occur which may affect the macula. Macular pucker also known as an epiretinal membrane is a condition in which a thin membrane grows on the surface of the macula. This membrane then contracts causing the retina to develop folds. These folds in the macula can distort and reduce vision.

An epiretinal membrane can occur spontaneously or may occur as a result of surgery, posterior vitreous detachment, retinal detachments, vascular occlusions, retinal tears, laser or cryo treatments, or inflammation. It occurs in both eyes approximately 20% of the time. Only 20% of people with a macular pucker end up with a visual acuity of worse than 20/200. If the visual acuity decreases to a point where a patient's lifestyle becomes affected, then surgery may be offered to remove the epiretinal membrane and improve the vision.

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