Summary
Pars plana vitrectomy can be successfully used to treat complications resulting from proliferative diabetic retinopathy including nonabsorbing vitreous haemorrhage, recent traction or rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and progressive fibrovascular proliferation. Vitreous surgery can be expected to result in improved vision in approximately 60–70% of these cases and approximately 50% of patients achieve navigational vision or better. If all the posterior cortical vitreous is removed no preretinal fibrovascular growth occurs after surgery. On the other hand, if nonatrophic, epiretinal fibrovascular membranes are not removed, they often undergo contraction after surgery and may detach or distort the adjacent retina. Pars plana vitrectomy is a complex surgical procedure with a significant complication rate, but it does offer a chance of vision in eyes that were hitherto considered untreatable and thus irrevocably blind.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Charles, S. 1979. Personal communication.
Douvas, N. 1973. Roto-extractor for congenital and traumatic cataracts (20 cases). Presented at: Cataract Surgical Congress, Miami, Florida.
Kloeti, R. 1973. Vitrektomie. I. Ein neues intsrument fuer die hintere vitrektomie. Graefes Arch. Ophthalmol. 187, 161.
Machemer, R. 1972. A new concept for vitreous surgery. II. Surgical technique and complications. Amer. J. Ophthalmol. 74, 1022.
Machemer, R. 1974a. A new concept for vitreous surgery: 6 Anesthesia and improvements in surgical technique. Arch. Ophthalmol. 92, 402.
Machemer, R. 1974b. A new concept for vitreous surgery: 7. Two-instrument techniques in pars plana vitrectomy. Arch Ophthalmol. 92, 407
Machemer, R. 1975. Vitrectomy. A pars plana approach. New York, Grune and Stratton, p. 1–131.
Machemer, R., parel, J. M., Buettner, H. 1972. A new concept for vitreous surgery. I. Instrumentation. Amer. J. Ophthalmol. 73, 1.
Mandelcorn M. S., Blankenship, G., Machemer, R. 1976. Pars plana vitrectomy for the management of severe diabetic retinopathy. Amer. J. Ophthalmol. 81, 561.
Michels, R. G. 1976. Vitreoretinal and anterior segment surgery through the pars plana: Part 1. Ann. Ophthalmol. 8, 1353.
Michels, R. G. 1978. Vitrectomy for complications of diabetic retinopathy. Arch. Ophthalmol. 96, 237.
Norton, E. W. D. 1973. Intraocular gas in the management of selected retinal detachments (XXIX Jackson Lecture). Trans. Amer. Ophthalmol. Otolaryngol. 77, 85.
O’Malley, C., Heintz, R. M. 1972. Vitrectomy via the pars plana. A new instrument system. Trans. Pac. Coast Otoophthalmol. Soc. 53, 121.
Peyman, G. A., Daily, M. J., Ericson, R. S. 1973. Experimental vitrectomy: new technical aspects. Amer. J. Ophthalmol. 75, 774.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cleary, P.E. The treatment of advanced diabetic eye disease. IJMS 148 (Suppl 2), 38–44 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02938138
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02938138