Efficiency of air tamponade in prevention of early recurrence of vitreal hemorrhage in diabetic patients with vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of air endo-tamponade in preventing early recurrence of vitreous hemorrhage in diabetic vitrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, consecutive, interventional, non-randomized study including 40 eyes (from 40 patients) with persistent or recurrent vitreous hemorrhage related to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. At the end of vitrectomy 20 cases (study group) were assigned to complete fluid--air exchange while the other 20 cases (control group) were left with BSS Plus. RESULTS: Early postoperative bleeding occurred in 9 out of 40 cases--22.5% (3 cases from the study group--15% and 6 cases from the control group--30%, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in visual acuity, intraocular pressure or incidence of late-onset hemorrhage recurrence between both groups during 6-month postoperative follow-up. In the study group there was a higher rate of lens opacities appearance. CONCLUSIONS: Air endo-tamponade seems a simple and efficient way of preventing early recurrence of vitreous hemorrhage in diabetic vitrectomy. Higher rate of lens opacities appearance may counteract this advantage thus this technique could be safely and electively used in pseudophakic patients.