With UK optometrists purchasing OCT scanners at pace, early and asymptomatic epiretinal membrane (ERM) is increasingly referred into ophthalmology, as it is technically an abnormal finding. This retrospective study looked at just over 400 patients with ERM and analysed outcomes of those who underwent immediate surgery, compared to those who were observed. The study results suggest that most ERM cases remain stable, but in those cases that progress, deferring surgery did not prejudice final visual outcome compared to immediate surgery.

https://www.ophthalmologyretina.org/article/S2468-6530(22)00087-2/fulltext