AIM: To obtain whether air tamponade is the recommended way after vitrectomy in idiopathic macular hole by surveying the closure rate, functional and morphological recovery after surgery with room air-filled.

METHODS:A total of 31 eyes of 31 patients with consecutive idiopathic macular hole, who undergone 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with room air-filled were retrospectively studied. Surgical outcomes were analyzed, regarding best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), hole closure rate, damage diameter of IS/OS with spectral domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT), the degree of visual distortion before and after surgery, surgical complications to discuss clinical significance and value about the patients after air tamponade.

RESULTS: The closure rate was 100% among the patients with hole diameter ≤250μm. The closure rate was 88.9% among thoes 250～400μm, and it was 93.3% among those 400～600μm. Mean BCVA at baseline, 1 and 3mo was 0.12±0.08, 0.28±0.15 and 0.27±0.18, respectively. The damage diameter of IS/OS was 1962.1±510.7μm before surgery and 1245.3±396.5μm 3mo after surgery. The differences were statistically significant before and after surgery(P=0.016). The mean prone posturing period was 3.5±0.4d. The degree of visual distortion had significant improvement. There were no serious surgical complications after surgery.

CONCLUSION: Room air tamponade can obtain good closure rate, recovery of visual function, a short time in the prone position and no serious surgical complications for idiopathic macular hole. It is the recommended surgical approach after vitrectomy in idiopathic macular hole.