Submacular surgery for age-related macular degeneration

The current focus of submacular surgical techniques is to remove large submacular hemorrhages or subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes with minimal iatrogenic injury to the native subretinal tissues. While the techniques and instrumentation are advancing rapidly, the visual results have been disappointing. Without a properly controlled prospective randomized clinical trial, submacular surgery cannot be recommended for either subfoveal choroidal neovascularization or submacular hemorrhage at the present time. The Submacular Surgery Trial will serve to show the natural history of large subfoveal choroidal neovascularization and submacular hemorrhage in age- related macular degeneration (AMD), and to identify those patients who may benefit from current submacular surgical techniques.