[Vitrectomy and subsequent photocoagulation in proliferative diabetic retinopathy with vitreous hemorrhage].

Forty eyes in 39 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, vitreal hemorrhage and progressive neovascularization in at least 3 fundus quadrants were treated with panretinal xenon photocoagulation immediately after pars plana vitrectomy. Lens extraction was performed on 7 eyes and 2 eyes were aphakic. Six months after treatment, 68% of the eyes showed an improvement in vision, 25% had vitreal rebleeding and 11% developed rubeosis iridis. While treatment had no effect on peripheral rubeosis iridis in 5 eyes, all 7 eyes with pupillary rubeosis iridis showed complete regression. The results indicate the clinical value of combining, pars plana vitrectomy with panretinal xenon photocoagulation in selected patients.