Purpose: Maculopathy in diabetes mellitus represents one of the most serious complications of the diabetic retinopathy. Retinal photocoagulations are often impossible and even dangerous. We propose a new method of surgical treatment for this macular serous detachment.
Material and method: Thirteen eyes from 11 patients were treated using the same surgical procedure: vitrectomy, aspiration of subretinal liquid through a temporal retinotomy, fragmentation and extraction of the sub and intra retinal exsudates through one or several retinotomies, macular massaging with fluorodecaline, endophotocoagulations (focal on vascular anomalies and macular grid) and fluid-gas exchange (C3F8).
Results: Macular serous detachment and subretinal exsudates disappeared in all the cases, the fluorescein leakage decreased. A functional improvement was obtained in 11 eyes, a stabilization in 2.
Discussion: The clinical results of this new surgical treatment appear to depend on the preoperative macular ischemia and on the age of the detachment. This surgical procedure is very beneficial but could perhaps be technically improved.