Diabetic traction retinal detachment. Factors influencing final visual acuity.

A group of eyes with clear media and diabetic traction retinal detachments treated with vitreous surgery were statistically analyzed to identify those parameters that would allow us to improve case selection. The configuration of the retinal detachment proved to be important, with hammock and flat diffuse central detachments having a good prognosis, and highly elevated, atrophic detachments such as table-top and tent-shaped demonstrating a poor prognosis. Eyes with florid diabetic retinopathy did less well than those with more inactive forms of retinopathy. Preretinal membranectomy, although accompanied by an increased rate of iatrogenic retinal tears, has a definite role in the treatment of more complex traction detachments and increases the number of eyes that may benefit from surgery. Eyes with preoperative vision better than 5/200 did significantly better than eyes with poorer preoperative vision.