Surgical Management of the Late Complications of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

The late complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) comprise vitreous haemorrhage, tractional retinal detachment, combined tractional-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and severe fibrovascular proliferation (including macular distortion or dragging, tractional macular oedema, and media opacity due to fibrovascular tissue). This article will review the indications, techniques, and outcomes of vitrectomy surgery to treat these conditions. A careful assessment of the surgical anatomy, with particular attention to the configuration of vitreoretinal attachments, is important when determining the precise surgical procedure required. The surgical outcome after diabetic vitrectomy has steadily improved with advances in vitreoretinal surgical instrumentation and technique. Significant post-operative complications may, however, occur including cataract formation, recurrent vitreous cavity haemorrhage (early or delayed), rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and neovascular glaucoma. Most patients will regain or retain useful vision after diabetic vitrectomy, although the visual outcome does remain unpredictable. The development of adjunctive pharmacotherapy should enable further improvements in visual outcome in the future.