Postoperative vitreous hemorrhage after diabetic 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy

To report the frequency of postoperative vitreous hemorrhage (VH) in eyes that underwent primary 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for nonclearing VH resulting from proliferative diabetic retinopathy, as well as associated risk factors.

Retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series.

Institutional (Retina Service of Wills Eye Institute).

One hundred seventy-three eyes of 157 patients.

Twenty-three-gauge PPV for nonclearing diabetic VH.

Percentage of eyes in which postoperative VH developed, categorized as early, delayed, or severe persistent, as well as percentage requiring reoperation.

During a mean follow-up of 32 weeks, 56 (32%) of 173 eyes demonstrated postoperative VH, categorized as early (8 eyes; 5%), delayed (13 eyes; 8%), or severe persistent (35 eyes; 20%). Twenty-two (13%) of 173 eyes required reoperation: 4 (50%) of 8 in the early group, 8 (62%) of 13 in the delayed group, and 10 (29%) of 35 in the severe persistent group. Mean preoperative logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity was 1.5 (Snellen equivalent, approximately 20/600); mean postoperative VA was 0.65 (Snellen equivalent, approximately 20/90), a gain of 0.85 (P < .0001). Thirty-four (27%) of 127 eyes with complete scatter photocoagulation before undergoing PPV compared with 22 (48%) of 46 eyes with incomplete scatter photocoagulation before undergoing PPV demonstrated postoperative VH (P = .002). Other factors associated with postoperative VH included younger age (P = .022) and phakia (P = .036).

Postoperative VH was not uncommon after initial 23-gauge PPV for diabetic VH and was associated with incomplete scatter photocoagulation, younger age, and phakia before PPV. However, only a minority of patients required reoperation.