To investigate the correlation between the inner-retinal irregularity index and visual outcomes before and after idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery.

Retrospective cohort study.

We analyzed 66 eyes of 66 patients with idiopathic ERM. Ophthalmic examinations included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurements, metamorphopsia assessment, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography before surgery and 1, 3, and 6 months post-surgery. Correlations between the inner-retinal irregularity index, defined as the length ratio between the inner plexiform layer and retinal pigment epithelium, and visual outcomes before and after ERM surgery were evaluated and compared with the correlation between the central foveal thickness, ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness, interdigitation zone defect, and visual outcomes.

Inner-retinal irregularity index and central foveal thickness were significantly correlated with BCVA and metamorphopsia at each follow-up examination (all P < .05). The interdigitation zone defect correlated with BCVA at 3 and 6 months post-surgery (P < .001 and P < .015, respectively). However, GC-IPL thickness was not correlated with visual outcomes at any follow-up examination. The preoperative interdigitation zone defect was correlated with 6-month BCVA (P = .035) and the preoperative inner-retinal irregularity index was significantly correlated with the 6-month BCVA and marginally correlated with the 6-month metamorphopsia (P = .018 and P = .097, respectively).

The inner-retinal irregularity index was significantly correlated with visual outcomes before and after ERM surgery. This index can be used as a new surrogate marker for inner-retinal damage and a predictive prognostic marker in ERM.