Long-Term Results of Vitrectomy for Removal of Submacular Hard Exudates in Patients With Diabetic Maculopathy

Abstract

Visual improvement could not be obtained for a long period after removing submacular hard exudates in most of the patients, suggesting that diabetic maculopathy should be treated before massive exudate deposits appear in the macula.

Choroidal neovascularisation after surgical removal of submacular lipid plaques in diabetic maculopathy

“…Takaya et al noted an improvement in visual acuity in five of 13 eyes after surgery for submacular hard exudates in diabetic maculopathy [8]. However, mean visual acuity in the treated group did not show statistically significant improvement in comparison with the control group.…”

“…However, mean visual acuity in the treated group did not show statistically significant improvement in comparison with the control group. Several intraand postoperative complications of this procedure are reported, such as macular hole, epimacular membrane, nuclear sclerosis, tractive retinal detachment, vitreous haemorrhage, submacular haemorrhage and choroidal detachment [7,8].…”

“…No proven therapy exists for diffuse macular oedema with massive submacular lipid plaques. Surgical removal of the subretinal lipid plaques has been reported as a therapeutic option in some cases of diabetic maculopathy [7,8].…”

Surgical removal of massive macular hard exudate combined with intravitreal triamcinolone in diabetic maculopathy

“…Despite good anatomical results, visual acuity improvement was not maintained long term with surgical removal alone because of atrophic or degenerative changes. 8 A combined procedure of surgical debulking and intravitreal triamcinolone would theoretically simultaneously reduce both macular exudate and oedema in a shorter period of time thereby reducing the risk of subretinal fibrosis.…”

Long-term results of excision of plaque-like foveal hard exudates in patients with chronic diabetic macular oedema

“…Takagi et al 11 and Sakuraba et al 12 first performed excision of submacular hard exudates and reported promising short-term surgical outcomes with favourable prognoses. Takaya et al 13 reported long-term results of surgical removal of hard exudates and noted that visual improvement could not be obtained.…”