To evaluate the surgical outcomes on the combined procedures of phacoemulsification, intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, and vitrectomy, and to compare clinical results with sequential surgery results in Korean patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane.

The present retrospective study included 20 eyes of 19 patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane who underwent combined phacoemulsification, IOL implantation, and pars plana vitrectomy (combined surgery), and 18 eyes of 18 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and IOL implantation subsequent to vitrectomy (sequential surgery). Postoperative clinical results and intra- and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups.

Postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (logMAR) was 0.41 ± 0.42 in the combined group, and 0.35 ± 0.37 in the sequential group. There was no significant difference in BCVA between the 2 groups ( p = 0.675). The mean refractive prediction error was -0.46 ± 0.88 diopters (D) in the combined group, and -0.06 ± 0.68 D in the sequential group, showing no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( p = 0.147). The present study showed no major differences between the 2 groups in complications such as intraoperative mild corneal edema, postoperative ocular hypertension, and lens capsular opacity.

Combined phacoemulsification, IOL implantation, and pars plana vitrectomy as well as the two-step procedure are safe and effective for treating patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane.