ObjectiveTo evaluate the functional and anatomical outcomes of autologous single retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) transplantation for severe obsolete submacular hemorrhage (SMH) in late age-related macular degeneration (AMD). MethodsA retrospective clinical study. From January 2012 to December 2015, 11 patients with AMD (11 eyes) with obsolete SMH who were diagnosed and treated by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with autologous RPE transplantation at the Department of Ophthalmology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were included. Among them, there were 9 eyes in 9 males and 2 eyes in 2 females. All the eyes underwent the examinations of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography; 4 eyes underwent macular fixation function (MAIA) at the same time. The BCVA examination was carried out using the international standard visual acuity chart, which was converted into logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity during statistics. All eyes were treated with PPV combined with autologous single-layer RPE transplantation or autologous RPE-choroidal full-thickness transplantation, and were divided into S group and C group, with 5 and 6 eyes respectively. The differences of age (t=－0.363), gender composition ratio (χ2=0.549), course and thickness of SMH (t=0.118, 0.231), average times of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drug treatments (t=0.129), times of PPV (t=－0.452) between the two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The follow-up period was 6-40 months after the operation, and the BCVA, MAIA, graft status and complications of the eyes after the operation were observed. The comparison of continuous variables between groups was performed by independent-sample t test; the comparison of categorical variables was performed by χ2 test. ResultsAt the last follow-up, the average logMAR BCVA of the eyes in group S and C were 1.62±0.34 and 1.03±0.20, respectively; group C was better than group S, however, the difference was not statistically significant (t=1.532, P=0.160). There were 4 eyes (80%, 4/5) and 6 eyes (100%, 6/6) in S group and C group with BCVA better than preoperative, the difference was no statistical significance (χ2=0.677, P=0.895). There were 2 (40%, 2/5) and 3 (50%, 3/6) eyes with logMAR BCVA better than 1.0 in S group and C group, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=0.572, P=0.423). After the operation, 6 eyes of grafts were in good condition and 5 eyes were in poor condition; the BCVA of grafts in good condition was significantly higher than that of poor condition, the difference was statistically significant (t=4.894, P=0.001). Among the 4 eyes that underwent MAIA examination, 2 eyes were unstable and diffusely fixed on the graft; the fixation point was located at the normal retina adjacent to the graft area in 2 eyes. Secondary subretinal hemorrhage occurred in 3 eyes after the operation; the intraocular pressure was high in 1 eye after the operation. During the follow-up period, no intraocular infection, secondary retinal detachment, recurrent choroidal neovascularization or low intraocular pressure occurred in all eyes. ConclusionsBoth autologous single-layer RPE transplantation and autologous RPE-choroidal full-thickness transplantation can help stabilize or even improve the visual function of eyes with severe SMH secondary to advanced AMD. The visual acuity after surgery is closely related to the state of the graft.