Background: Vitrectomy serves as an important treatment modality in uveitis, removing inflamed vitreous body and eliminating secondary complications. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the value of vitrectomy in the treatment of complications in uveitis.
Patients and method: We included 50 eyes of 50 patients suffering from chronic uveitis, which underwent vitrectomy surgery during the period of 1990 to 1993. The study only included patients who had vitrectomy for uveitis for the first time. Indications leading to surgery were density of optic media, retinal detachment, cyclitic or preretinal membranes. The mean follow-up was 455 (range 48-1420) days.
Results: Vitrectomy was performed at a mean delay of 452 days after initial presentation. The mean visual acuity at the time of surgery was 0.05. The best visual acuity postoperatively was measured at a mean time of 118 days after vitrectomy. Overall, at the last control, eyes with preoperative retinal detachment presented a much worse final functional result (visual acuity of 0.02) than eyes without detachment (visual acuity of 0.5). Ten eyes resulted in hypotonia after surgery (7 eyes with persisting hypotonia). Most frequent complications in the postoperative course were macular pucker (11 eyes), secondary glaucoma (10 eyes), macular edema (6 eyes) and retinal detachment (6 eyes). Fifty percent of all complications occurred within the first 3 months following surgery.
Conclusion: Vitrectomy leads to a permanent increase in visual acuity through the treatment of complications, on the condition that a stable retinal situation was present preoperatively.