Introduction

The paper presents the retrospective analysis of diabetic patients with vitreous hemorrhage due to proliferative retinopathy treated surgically with vitrectomy at the Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Gdansk in 2008–2010. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of tamponade and antiplatelet/anticoagulation treatment on the recurrence of vitreous hemorrhage.

Material and methods

The pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 68 diabetic patients (76 eyes) with vitreous hemorrhage secondary to proliferative retinopathy. Multiple pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 4 patients, both eyes were operated in 8 patients. The patients’ age ranged from 27 to 87 years. The correlation between the duration of insulin therapy, degree of disease progression, antiplatelet/anticoagulation treatment, the time since the last vitrectomy, type of vitreous tamponade, and the recurrence of hemorrhages were evaluated. The follow-up was 12 months.

Results

Overall, 83 pars plana vitrectomy procedures were performed. Silicone oil was used in 42 procedures, and expandable gas in 9 cases. 32 eyes were left without any tamponade. During the follow-up the vitreous hemorrhage reoccurred in 10 cases – including 5 eyes left without the tamponade, 4 eyes with gas tamponade and 1 eye with silicone oil tamponade.

Conclusions

Pars plana vitrectomy with sillicon oil tamponade ensures the effective hemostasis in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The antiplatelet/anticoagulation treatment does not influence the incidence or the recurrence of vitreous hemorrhage.