PURPOSE

To develop a method of viscodissection involving staining of epiretinal membranes, and to evaluate its efficacy and safety in surgical treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 30 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and PDR with tractional retinal detachment (TRD). All patients were divided into two groups. In the first (main) group, at the initial stages of the operation, viscodissection with staining of epiretinal structures was performed, followed by segmentation and removal of membranes; in the second (control) group, segmentation and removal of membranes was performed using a vitreotome and endovitreal forceps.

RESULTS

During the follow-up, all patients showed positive trends of morphological and functional indicators. While the number of intraoperative stages was the same in both groups, the total operation time in patients of the main group was significantly lower (p≤0.001) than in patients of the control group (main — 41.3±2.8 min; control — 53.8±6.2 min). With equal number of posterior hyaloid membrane to inner limiting membrane (PHM to ILM) fixation points in both groups, iatrogenic retinal rupture occurred significantly less frequently in patients of the main group (main — 0.6±0.7, control — 3.1±2.9) (p≤0.001). In this regard, among the patients of the control group, in the overwhelming majority of cases, it was necessary to use a silicone oil tamponade (60%) or gas-air mixture (33%), while in the first group the main postoperative media were sterile BSS solution (73%) and gas-air mixture (27%).