Efficacy and Safety of Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide in Eyes With Post Vitrectomy Diabetic Vitreous Hemorrhage

Vitreous hemorrhage is the most common complication of vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy. Despite measures to prevent and control this bleeding, it can lead to air-fluid exchange in the office or to additional surgery in the operating room. Air-fluid exchange does not result in clear vision immediately after the procedure, and the patient has to maintain a face-down position. Vitreous lavage, a more invasive procedure performed in the operating room, may give rise to complications such as iatrogenic retinal breaks, incarcerations of vitreous in the sclerotomy sites, retinal detachment, rubeosis iridis, neovascular glaucoma, infective endophthalmitis, and sympathetic ophthalmia. In contrast, IVT injection as a treatment of post vitrectomy diabetic vitreous hemorrhage is a less invasive procedure and provides more prompt visual recovery, while avoiding the face-down position.

We believe that the rapid clearing of vitreous hemorrhage results from as follows: (1) triamcinolone delivered in vitreous cavity can give rise to mechanical sediment entangled with remaining blood (2) direct vascular stabilizing effect may be induced (3) antiangiogenic effect may play a role.