Outcomes and Complications of Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Tractional Retinal Detachment in People With Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE: Tractional retinal detachment (TRD) occurs in approximately 5% of people with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and poses a threat to vision. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is the treatment of choice for TRD. OBJECTIVE: To determine anatomic and functional outcomes of PPV for the treatment of TRD in people with diabetes (dTRD). DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE and Embase were searched systematically from January 1, 2000, to February 20, 2022. In addition, a reference list of eligible studies were screened. STUDY SELECTION: Eligible studies were those published in English, those reporting outcomes of PPV for dTRD, and those that included more than 25 eyes and with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for data extraction/synthesis were followed, and the National Institute for Health quality assessment tool was used to assess risk of bias. Study eligibility was determined independently by 2 reviewers; data extraction was conducted by 1 reviewer and entries checked for accuracy by another. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Main outcomes included rate of failure of retinal reattachment following 1 surgery and final visual acuity (VA). The association of baseline patient characteristics and surgical maneuvers with postoperative surgical outcomes was investigated. RESULTS: Of the 406 studies identified, 38 (3839 eyes) were eligible and included for analysis. Patients had a median (IQR) age of 52.2 (49.6-55.7) years. In the studies reporting patient sex (31 of 38 studies), 1441 were female individuals (50.1%). The overall failure rate of retinal reattachment after 1 surgery was 5.9% (95% CI, 1.4%-8.3%), and the mean final VA was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.82-1.05) logMAR (approximate Snellen equivalent, 6/53; 95% CI, 6/39-6/71). People with higher preoperative VA achieved higher postoperative vision (0.66 logMAR worse final vision; 95% CI, 0.39-0.84 per 1.0 logMAR worse at baseline; P <.001). On multivariable analysis, no other patient characteristics or surgical variables had a statistically significant association with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that PPV was an effective strategy to achieve retinal reattachment in people with dTRD. Given that higher preoperative VA was the only factor associated with higher postoperative vision, early intervention should be considered and discussed in detail with patients. Overall, final postoperative VA remains low, and patients should be counseled on the guarded prognosis of dTRD.