Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab advanced to vitrectomy for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Methods: Eight eyes of six patients (33-64 years old, all male patients) with severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy were investigated. An intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab was performed 3-30 days prior to planned vitrectomy.
Results: All cases showed minimum bleeding during surgical dissection of fibrovascular membrane. Two cases receiving bevacizumab 7 days before the surgery showed strong fibrosis and adhesion of fibrovascular membrane, resulted in some surgical complications. The cases having intravitreal bevacizumab for shorter time did not show extensive fibrosis.
Conclusions: The pretreatment of bevacizumab is likely effective in the vitrectomy for severe PDR. The appropriate timing of vitrectomy after bevacizumab injection should be further evaluated.