Long-term visual results of vitreous surgery in diabetic eye disease.

Long-term visual results in the first 124 consecutively vitrectomized eyes of 105 diabetic patients in our department were evaluated. The indications for vitrectomy were unresorbable vitreous haemorrhage (77 eyes, 62%) (group A), central traction retinal detachment (21 eyes, 17%) (group B), and a combination of both (26 eyes, 21%) (group C). Initially visual acuity (VA) improved at least by one category in 83 eyes (67%). The latest postoperative VA after the mean follow-up of 3.7 +/- 0.2 years was greater than = 0.3 in 36 eyes (29%), 0.1-0.25 in 15 eyes (12%), 0.05-0.08 in 9 eyes (7%), counting fingers (CF) 1-less than 3 m in 13 eyes (11%), and less than CF 1 m in 51 eyes (41%). The latest VA of 0.3 or better was significantly more common in group A (40%) than in group B (10%) or group C (12%) (P = 0.0087 and 0.0076, respectively). The most common causes of visual failure (VA less than C F 1m) were neovascular glaucoma and/or retinal detachment. At the latest follow-up visit 50% of the patients had VA of 0.3 or better, 16% were in the low-vision category, and 34% were blind (VA less than 0.05).