{"id":9696,"date":"2026-02-03T08:32:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/?p=9696"},"modified":"2026-02-03T08:38:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:38:57","slug":"epiretinal-membrane-when-to-operate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/eye-surgery\/epiretinal-membrane-when-to-operate\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiretinal membrane: surgery to stop progression\u2026 and often to improve vision"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”” woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]\u201cIn epiretinal membrane surgery, we do not operate to promise improvement, but to prevent further visual deterioration.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most sources agree that when epiretinal membrane<\/strong> requires surgery, it is because the patient presents clear functional symptoms<\/strong> such as metamorphopsia<\/strong> and\/or progressive loss of visual acuity<\/strong>, along with objective OCT findings<\/strong> including macular thickening, pseudoholes or even macular holes.<\/p>\n

The primary aim of the surgery is to stabilize vision<\/strong> by reducing macular traction and avoiding further structural and functional damage. It is essential to communicate honestly that surgery does not guarantee visual improvement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When initial visual loss is mild or moderate, the purpose of surgery is to halt disease progression<\/strong>. Functional recovery depends on the duration of traction, previous retinal layer damage and the macula\u2019s capacity for neurosensory reorganization. For more information on related conditions, see our Eye Diseases<\/a> section.<\/p>\n

My clinical tip<\/h3>\n

In my experience, many patients undergoing epiretinal membrane surgery do experience visual improvement<\/strong> in their daily\u2011life\u2011limiting symptoms:<\/p>\n

– reduced metamorphopsia,
\n– improved shape perception,
\n– and in many cases improved visual acuity.<\/p>\n

Visual recovery is not immediate<\/strong>. The retina requires time to reorganize. Most stable results are obtained between 6 months and one year<\/strong>. For more details on how these conditions are surgically managed, visit our Retinal Surgery<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

Not operating may lead to progressive and irreversible vision loss<\/strong>. Surgery is recommended when appropriate to protect long\u2011term vision<\/strong> and offer the best chance of functional recovery. If you are experiencing symptoms, you can book an appointment<\/a> for a full evaluation.<\/p>\n

\n

Medical review<\/h2>\n

Reviewed by: Dr. Antonio Soler Garc\u00eda<\/strong>, Medical Director at Soleyes Fuengirola<\/a>.
\nMedical license number:<\/strong> 292907906.
\nUpdated on:<\/strong> 02\/02\/2026<\/p>\n

Important notice<\/h3>\n

This content is informative and does not replace<\/strong> professional medical evaluation.
\nIf you have symptoms or concerns, book an appointment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”” woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]\u201cIn epiretinal membrane surgery, we do not operate to promise improvement, but to prevent further visual deterioration.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9693,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[146],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-surgery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9696"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9698,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9696\/revisions\/9698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soleyes.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}