AIM: To describe the rate of fellow eye vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy in an inner city population. METHODS: Retrospective interventional case series. Medical and surgical records of 434 consecutive eyes of 358 patients undergoing primary diabetic vitrectomy in an inner city institutional practice were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier statistical analysis was employed to evaluate the rate of fellow eye vitrectomy and visual outcomes were determined for patients with ≥ 3 months follow-up. RESULTS: Fellow eyes underwent diabetic vitrectomy at a rate of 24% within 1 year, 34% within 3 years and 36% within 5 years of primary vitrectomy. A surgical indication of non-clearing vitreous haemorrhage (VH) in the primary eye was associated with a lower rate of fellow eye surgery compared with non-clearing VH with extrafoveal traction retinal detachment (TRD) at years 1, 3 and 5 (p ≤ 0.02), and TRD at years 3 and 5 (p ≤ 0.03). Younger patients underwent fellow eye vitrectomy at a higher rate than older patients (p ≤ 0.01). Surgical intervention was associated with improvement in mean visual acuity (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately a third of fellow eyes required diabetic vitrectomy within 3 years of primary eye vitrectomy. Primary eye surgical indication and younger age were significant predictors of need for fellow eye surgery.
AIM: To describe the rate of fellow eye vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy in an inner city population. METHODS: Retrospective interventional case series. Medical and surgical records of 434 consecutive eyes of 358 patients undergoing primary diabetic vitrectomy in an inner city institutional practice were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier statistical analysis was employed to evaluate the rate of fellow eye vitrectomy and visual outcomes were determined for patients with ≥ 3 months follow-up. RESULTS: Fellow eyes underwent diabetic vitrectomy at a rate of 24% within 1 year, 34% within 3 years and 36% within 5 years of primary vitrectomy. A surgical indication of non-clearing vitreous haemorrhage (VH) in the primary eye was associated with a lower rate of fellow eye surgery compared with non-clearing VH with extrafoveal traction retinal detachment (TRD) at years 1, 3 and 5 (p ≤ 0.02), and TRD at years 3 and 5 (p ≤ 0.03). Younger patients underwent fellow eye vitrectomy at a higher rate than older patients (p ≤ 0.01). Surgical intervention was associated with improvement in mean visual acuity (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately a third of fellow eyes required diabetic vitrectomy within 3 years of primary eye vitrectomy. Primary eye surgical indication and younger age were significant predictors of need for fellow eye surgery.