Purpose: To describe characteristics of central retina and compare these clinical figures with optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of idiopathic epiretinal membranes. Purpose and methods: A cross-sectional study. Clinical charts and OCT images of 45 consecutive patients (45 eyes) after removal idiopathic epiretinal membranes at Viet Nam National Institute of Ophthtalmology from 1/2009 to 6/2010. Results: Mean age 51.1 + or - 16.4, 13 male (29 percent), 32 female (71 percent). Mean VA 0.41 + or - 0.18 Macular volume: 8.2 + or - 0.63mm3, mean central subfield thickness 262.1 + or - 52.2 pm, mean retinal thickness 241.5 + or - 46.4 pm. The foveal pit reappeared in 6 eyes. Postoperatively, visual acuity not correlated with macular thickness (r = - 0.126, P = 0.4). Conclusions: Macular thickness, macular volume decreases after epiretinal membrane surgery, but the macular profile rarely returns to normal. However, this does not preclude satisfactory improvement of visual acuity.