Anticoagulants and antiplatelets are safe to use during pars plana vitrectomy

Article

Continuing the use of anticoagulants and antiplatelets during diabetic pars plana vitrectomy does not pose a higher risk of intraoperative or postoperative vitreous haemorrhage.

Continuing the use of anticoagulants and antiplatelets during diabetic pars plana vitrectomy does not pose a higher risk of intraoperative or postoperative vitreous haemorrhage, according to a paper published in Retina.

The retrospective, comparative cohort investigation led by Dr Jamin Brown, Vitreoretinal Division, Kresge Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA, consisted of 97 eyes that underwent diabetic pars plana vitrectomy. A single surgeon operated on all patients over a 30-month period at a single practice. Of the eyes included in the study, 27 continued with anticoagulation perioperatively and 50 eyes had anticoagulation stopped.

Surgical intervention with anticoagulation and antiplatelets agents demonstrated a significant increase in visual acuity, compared to patients who were not administered anticoagulation and antiplatelets.

No differences in the incidence of postoperative vitreous haemorrhage or re-operation were recorded between the two groups. Patients administered with anticoagulation medication presented with a significantly worse postoperative vision compared to patients not receiving anticoagulation medication. Best-corrected visual acuity of 20/230 was found in the anticoagulation patients, compared to 20/100 in the non-anticoagulation patients.

Newsletter

Join ophthalmologists across Europe—sign up for exclusive updates and innovations in surgical techniques and clinical care.

Recent Videos
Christine Curcio, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, shares histology update and revised nomenclature for OCT with Sheryl Stevenson of the Eye Care Network and Ophthalmology Times
SriniVas R. Sadda, MD, FARVO, shares key points from his retina presentation at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium
Robert Sergott, MD, describes fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) and the International SPECTRALIS Symposium – And Beyond (ISS) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, spoke with Ophthalmology Times Europe about his presentation. It's titled "An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma" at the International SPECTRALIS Sympsoium. In conversation with Hattie Hayes, Ophthalmology Times Europe
Anat Loewenstein, MD, describes her presentation on remote imaging for age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium, in conversation with Hattie Hayes of Ophthalmology Times Europe
Tyson Brunstetter, OD, PhD, a US Navy Aerospace Optometrist at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, shares key takeaways from his keynote at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium (ISS)
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, shares his presentation, titled An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma, at this year's International SPECTRALIS Symposium
At the Retina World Congress, Siegfried Priglinger, MD, speaks about ensuring the best outcomes for preschool-aged patients
At the 2025 ASCRS meeting, Robert Ang, MD said small aperture IOLs can benefit all patients, especially those with complex corneas or who have undergone previous corneal refractive surgery
Viha Vig, MBChB graduate student at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, discusses her poster presentation on the relationship between mitochondiral disease, Alzheimer disease, and other types of dementia.
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.