A macular hole is a tear in the macula, an area of the central retina responsible for fine detailed vision such as reading.  This occurs when the vitreous or “jelly” inside the eye pulls away from and creates a hole in the retina, which is the lining over the back of the eye housing the specialized “light-sensing” cells.  As the hole forms, patients will typically notice sudden central blurriness, waviness, or a dark spot in their vision.  The most common cause of a macular hole is age, but it can rarely be caused by trauma as well.   Surgery is required to close a macular hole.  While surgery is successful in most cases, not all patients will recover vision after macular hole closure. 

 

A careful discussion with a retina surgeon is needed to assess the risks and benefits of surgery.