Plasmin-assisted vitrectomy for management of proliferative membrane in proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the feasibility of autologous plasmin for treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: The study examined prospectively six patients with bilateral proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Comparisons of the surgical time and the incidence of retinal tears were made between the eyes treated with autologous plasmin and their respective opposite eyes, which were treated without plasmin. RESULTS: All eyes treated with autologous plasmin required significantly less surgical time (68 versus 89 minutes, P = 0.04, paired t-test). In the plasmin group, no additional surgical procedures for removing the proliferative membrane were needed, including membrane delamination or segmentation. Moreover, with plasmin pretreatment, there were no retinal tears, which was in contrast to the control group, where three eyes with retinal tears were observed. There was no significant difference found between the two groups for final visual outcomes. CONCLUSION: Autologous plasmin may be beneficial in the surgical management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.