Potential bias of preoperative intravitreal anti-VEGF injection for complications of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: Intravitreal anti-VEGF injection (IVI) is administered before vitrectomy to assist management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)-related complications. In the clinical setting, retinal surgeons determine the use of preoperative IVI based on individual criteria. In this study, we investigated factors related to the potential bias of retinal surgeons in using IVI prior to vitrectomy for PDR-related complications, and evaluated the real-world outcomes of surgeon-determined preoperative IVI. METHODS: Medical records of 409 eyes of 409 patients who underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy for PDR complications at seven Japanese centers (22 surgeons) were retrospectively reviewed. Ocular factors, demographic and general clinical factors, surgical procedures, and postoperative complications were compared between IVI group (patients who received preoperative IVI; 87 eyes, 21.3%) and non-IVI group (patients who did not receive preoperative IVI; 322 eyes, 78.7%). In addition, baseline HbA1c in IVI group and non-IVI group was compared between eyes with and without postoperative complications. RESULTS: At baseline, IVI group was younger (P<0.001), had shorter duration of diabetes treatment (P = 0.045), and higher frequencies of neovascular glaucoma [NVG] (P<0.001) and tractional retinal detachment [TRD] (P<0.001) compared to non-IVI group. Although IVI group had higher frequencies of intraoperative retinal break and tamponade procedure, there were no significant differences in postoperative complications and additional treatments between two groups. Baseline HbA1c levels were also not correlated with postoperative complications of VH, NVG, and RD both in IVI group and non-IVI group. Logistic regression analysis identified age (P<0.001, odds ratio [OR] 0.95), presence of NVG (P<0.001, OR 20.2), and presence of TRD (P = 0.0014, OR 2.44) as preoperative factors in favor of IVI. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter real-world clinical study, younger age and presence of NVG and TRD were identified as potential biases in using IVI before vitrectomy for PDR complications. Eyes that received preoperative IVI had more intraoperative retinal breaks requiring tamponade than eyes not receiving IVI, but postoperative outcome was not different between the two groups.

Prognostic factors of revitrectomy for complications in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a retrospective multicentre study.

PURPOSE: To identify prognostic factors for revitrectomy in patients who underwent vitrectomy for complications with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in multicentre study. METHODS: Consecutive 452 eyes of 452 patients with PDR undergoing 25-gauge microincision vitrectomy system (MIVS) in seven centres were retrospectivity reviewed. Preoperative ocular factors (baseline visual acuity [VA], vitreous haemorrhage [VH], tractional retinal detachment [TRD] and retinal photocoagulation), general factors (sex, age, diabetes duration, HbA1c level, hypertension, anti-coagulant medication and estimated glomerular filtration rate), surgical procedures (preoperative anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection, internal limiting membrane peeling, combined cataract surgery, retinal break, and tamponade), postoperative complications for revitrectomy and postoperative VA at 6 months were evaluated. RESULTS: In the follow-up period of 6 months, revitrectomy was performed in 56 eyes (26.3%), and postoperative complications for revitrectomy were VH in 31 eyes (15%), TRD in 13 eyes (6.2%) and membrane proliferation in 12 eyes (5.2%). The mean LogMAR improvement from baseline to 6 months in revitrectomy group (0.39) was significantly worse than in single vitrectomy group (0.74). Diabetic duration, low baseline VA, less simple VH, TRD and air tamponade were statistical risk factors of revitrectomy, and logistic regression analysis identified low baseline VA and air tamponade also as prognostic factors of revitrectomy. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that prognosis of VA was worse in PDR patients with revitrectomy and low baseline VA and air as the tamponade material were the potential prognostic factors of revitrectomy.

Outcomes of 25-Gauge Vitrectomy for Tractional and Nontractional Diabetic Macular Edema with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

The benefit of pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling for tractional macular edema and diffuse nontractional macular edema in diabetic retinopathy has been reported. Although these studies had included various stages, use of conventional 20-gauge vitrectomy system, small number of cases, single-center study, and lack of retinal structure measurements were limitations. We compared one-year outcomes of 25-gauge vitrectomy for refractory diabetic macular edema with or without the tractional proliferative membrane in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) eyes and examined the prognostic factors for postoperative visual acuity. A total of consecutive 116 PDR eyes of 116 patients that underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy for tractional macular edema (TME group: 56 eyes) or nontractional macular edema (nTME group: 60 eyes) at six centers were retrospectively reviewed. Visual acuity (VA), central macular thickness (CMT), complications, and postoperative treatments before and 12 months after vitrectomy were compared. Mean VA improved significantly in each group (both P < 0.01), and mean CMT decreased significantly in each group (both P < 0.01). Thirteen eyes underwent additional vitrectomy, six eyes developed neovascular glaucoma, six eyes received intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, and thirteen eyes received subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that baseline VA and CMT in the TME group and kidney function in the nTME group were the predictable factors of the 12-month postoperative VA. Twenty-five-gauge vitrectomy effectively improved VA and macular structure both in TME and nTME groups. Baseline VA, CMT, and kidney function are important factors affecting postoperative VA.

Risk Factors of Neovascular Glaucoma After 25-gauge Vitrectomy for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy with Vitreous Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a terminal severe complication in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and PDR eyes with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) which undergo vitrectomy may have higher risk of postoperative NVG. The incidence and the prognostic factor of postoperative NVG after 25-gauge vitrectomy with advanced surgical options remain unclear. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 268 eyes of 268 consecutive PDR patients with VH who underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy and 12 months follow-up at seven centers. Preoperative ocular factors (visual acuity, tractional retinal detachment, panretinal photocoagulation [PRP]), demographics and clinical factors (sex, age, diabetic duration, HbA1c, hypertension, anticoagulant medication, and kidney function), surgical procedures, and postoperative complications were compared between patients who developed postoperative NVG (9.3%) and those who did not. NVG eyes was significantly younger (P = 0.026), had shorter diabetic duration (P = 0.022), higher HbA1c (P = 0.028), absence of PRP (P = 0.039) and higher frequency of postoperative VH (P = 0.0075) than non-NVG eyes. Logistic regression analysis identified postoperative VH (P = 0.014), shorter diabetic duration (P = 0.029), and no PRP (P = 0.028) as prognostic factors for postoperative NVG. This multicenter study indicates that younger age, uncontrolled diabetes, no PRP, and postoperative VH are risk factors of post-vitrectomy NVG.