Pre-operative intravitreal bevacizumab for tractional retinal detachment secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy: the Alvaro Rodriguez lecture 2023

The treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) has evolved significantly since the initial use of panretinal photocoagulation as a treatment in the 1950s. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors have provided an effective alternative without the risk of peripheral vision loss. Despite this, the risk of complications requiring surgical intervention in PDR remains high. Intravitreal bevacizumab has shown promise as a preoperative adjuvant to vitrectomy for PDR complications, albeit with a purported risk for tractional retinal detachment (TRD) progression in eyes with significant fibrous proliferation. Here we will discuss anti-VEGF agent use in PDR and its role in surgical intervention for PDR complications including TRD.