Long-Term Results of Pars Plana Vitrectomy with Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome: A Prospective Investigation in Central Asian Population

<b>Background:</b> There is a lack of research on the clinical characteristics of vitreomacular traction (VMT) in the Central Asian population, which evaluates the visual recovery and macular hole closure outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with membrane peel in this population. <b>Methods:</b> This long-term prospective cohort study, conducted at the Kazakh Eye Research Institute from June 2015 to December 2021 with a follow-up period until December 2022, included 1574 patients (1784 eyes) with VMT syndrome. Among the eyes, 724 (40.58%) had VMT, 620 (34.75%) had a lamellar macular hole (LMH), and 440 (24.66%) had a full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). <b>Results:</b> The FTMH group consisted of small (≤250 μm) holes in 14 (3.2%) eyes, medium (250-400 μm) holes in 79 (17.9%) eyes, and large (>400 μm) holes in 347 (78.9%) eyes. Significant improvements in visual acuity, retinal thickness reduction, and macular hole closure were observed in 98.79% of patients with LMH and 81.14% of patients with FTMH at 1.5 months after surgery. PPV with membrane peel resulted in improved clinical outcomes, including enhanced visual acuity and macular structure. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings support the existing research indicating the efficacy and relative safety of this surgical approach for VMT, despite the potential risks of postoperative complications.