A Clinical Analysis of Vitrectomy for the Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Patients

Kim, Chul Gu; Jung, Yeon Chul; Kim, Jong Woo

Abstract

The authors reviewed the charts of 128 patients(160 eyes) who underwent vitrectomy for the proliferative diabetic retinopathy from January 1993 to December 1995 and the results were analyzed in terms of visual efficiency. At the conclusion of the study, visual acuity improved in 96 eyes(60%), unchanged in 33 eyes(21%) and in 31 eyes(19%) became worse. Visual efficiency was increased from 11.9% preoperatively to 37.2% postoperatively in all patients. Patients under the age of 40 showed better results than the patients above the age of 40. The factors which affected the change in visual efficiency were age and preoperative intraocular conditions. The patients who had non-clearing vitreous hemorrhage without proliferative membrane revealed better prognostic results than the other patients. In 50 eyes (31.3%) of cases, maximal postoperative visual acuity was achieved in 4 weeks to 3 months after operation.