Xenon arc photocoagulation of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. A review of 2688 consecutive eyes in the format of the Diabetic Retinopathy Study.

In a retrospective study, 2688 eyes treated with xenon arc photocoagulation which would have qualified for inclusion in the Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS) were reviewed in the format of the DRS. When comparable risk groups were compared, the results of treatment were even more favorable than reported in the DRS without the severe complications attributed to xenon treatment in the DRS. A critical analysis of the DRS gives clues for the greater amount of visual loss found with xenon than argon in the DRS. Since these complications may be avoidable in some cases, and since xenon has been shown to be at least as effective as argon, it should continue to be used in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.