Postoperative complications following vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with sew-on and noncontact wide-angle viewing lenses

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the occurrence of vitreous hemorrhages and retinal detachments following vitrectomy surgery with sew-on lenses to a noncontact wide-angle lens system. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 180 patients who underwent pr imary vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The occurrence of persistent and recurrent vitreous hemorrhages as well as postoperative reti nal detachments in the two groups was determined. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrenc e of persistent vitreous hemorrhages between the sew-on (55%) and the wide- angle (42%) lens systems (P = 0.099). Likewise, recurrent vitreous hemorrha ges were similar in both the sew-on (15%) and the wide-angle (17%) lens sys tems (P = 0.838). However, postoperative detachments were more frequent in the sew-on group (9%) than in the wide-angle (1%) group (P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: In patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, using a wi de-angle noncontact lens system significantly reduced the incidence of post operative retinal detachments, but not persistent or recurrent vitreous hem orrhages.