Below, I talk about the scar tissue condition known as epiretinal membrane or macular pucker. If you are unable to watch this video or would like to have the text to refer to, this is available under the video.
What Is an Epiretinal Membrane?
An epiretinal membrane is scar tissue that grows on the surface of the macula. By contracting and distorting the macula, it can distort and blur vision. The reason this happens in most people is due to a posterior vitreous detachment. This is the gel, or vitreous, that fills the eye up against the macula. As it peels off, which happens to everybody sooner or later, it can irritate the surface of the macula. With this irritation, the body responds with healing, which unfortunately leaves behind scarring.
How is an Epiretinal Membrane Formed?
The first thing that happens is that scar cells from within the blood go to the surface of the macula before multiplying and calling more in. They form a smooth and transparent sheet of scar tissue on the surface of the macula. At this stage, it doesn’t affect the vision at all. However, the next stage – which happens to almost all scars – is contraction. As this contraction occurs, it contracts and puckers the macula, and that’s how people end up losing vision from macular pucker or epiretinal membrane.
