POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS & VISUAL PROGNOSIS IN VITREORETINAL SURGERIES FOR PDR .
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Keywords
Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, Vitrectomy, Visual Prognosis, Postoperative Complications, Retinal Surgery
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) represents the most advanced stage of diabetic retinal disease and is a major cause of severe visual impairment worldwide. Vitreoretinal surgeries such as pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) are commonly performed to manage complications including non-clearing vitreous hemorrhage, tractional retinal detachment, and fibrovascular proliferation. Despite advances in surgical techniques, postoperative complications may significantly affect visual prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate postoperative complications and visual outcomes following vitreoretinal surgery in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. A prospective observational study was conducted on 140 eyes of 120 patients with PDR who underwent pars plana vitrectomy at a tertiary ophthalmology center. Preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, and retinal status were evaluated over a six-month follow-up period. Postoperative complications including recurrent vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, neovascular glaucoma, cataract progression, and macular edema were recorded. Results showed that mean BCVA improved significantly from 1.48 ± 0.42 logMAR preoperatively to 0.92 ± 0.36 logMAR at six months (p < 0.001). Visual improvement of at least two Snellen lines occurred in 68.6% of eyes, while 18.5% showed stable vision and 12.9% experienced deterioration. The most common postoperative complication was recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (14.3%), followed by cataract progression (12.1%), macular edema (9.3%), retinal detachment (5.7%), and neovascular glaucoma (4.3%). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that preoperative visual acuity, presence of tractional retinal detachment, and postoperative complications were significant predictors of final visual outcome. Vitreoretinal surgery significantly improves visual outcomes in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy; however, postoperative complications remain important determinants of long-term visual prognosis.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Muhammad Awais Asghar
Fellow Vitreo Retina / Senior Registrar, Eye Unit III, Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
Ramsha Jehangir
Fellow vitreo retina, Consultant Ophthalmologist, DHQ Kasur.
Arslan Ahmed
Assistant Professor Ophthalmology, Al-Aleem Medical College, Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore.
Sohaib Abbas
Assistant Professor Ophthalmology, Queens Medical College Lahore
Anwar Ahmed Gul
Assistant Professor Ophthalmology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Saadullah Ahmad
Associate Professor Orbit and Oculoplastics, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi.
