Vitrectomy for complications of diabetic retinopathy
R. G. Michels
Pars plana vitrectomy was used to treat 134 consecutive eyes with
complications resulting from proliferative diabetic retinopathy, including
nonabsorbing vitreous hemorrhage, recent traction and rhegmatogenous
retinal detachment, progressive fibrovascular proliferation, and early
rubeosis iridis with recent vitreous hemorrhage. Vision improved after
surgery in 65% of the eyes, was unchanged in 16%, and decreased after
surgery in 19%. In 24% of the successful cases, vision of 20/50 or better
was achieved. When all posterior cortical vitreous was removed, no
preretinal fibrovascular growth occurred after surgery. Nonatrophic
epiretinal fibrovascular membranes that were not removed usually underwent
centripetal contraction after surgery, causing tangential traction on the
adjacent retina. Rubeosis iridis was the most common postoperative
complication in otherwise successful cases, and rubeosis underwent
regression after scatter retinal photocoagulation in some eyes.
