To analyze trends in indications and surgical techniques for vitrectomy in the Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University from 2010 to 2019.

This was a retrospective case series study. 22 491 patients who underwent vitrectomy, aged from 1 to 95 years, in the Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University were enrolled from January 2010 to July 2019. There were 12 287 males and 10 204 females. The indications (retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, maculopathy, ocular trauma, vitreoretinopathy without retinal detachment, lens lesions and other oculopathies), surgical procedures (anterior vitrectomy, vitrectomy alone and vitrectomy combined with lens surgery) and vitreous substitutes (gas, silicone oil and other liquids) for vitrectomy were collected. Patient demographics, indications and types of vitrectomy performed were evaluated. SPSS 21.0 statistical software was used, mainly for a statistical description of the data.

The numbers of annual surgeries performed at the Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University for vitrectomy were 1 398 cases in 2010, rising gradually to 3 791 cases in 2019. The mean age of patients who underwent vitrectomy was 50.1±16.4 years in the 2010 s, rising gradually to 57.2±14.5 years in the 2019 s. Macular disease in vitrectomy patients had increased rapidly over the ten years. There was a higher proportion of male patients compared to females, while the proportion of females had increased gradually (2010, 39.7%; 2019, 46.6%). Retinal detachment (29.4%), maculopathy (22.0%), diabetic retinopathy (19.7%) and ocular trauma (15.5%) were the top 4 indications for vitrectomy between 2010 and 2019. The number and proportion of patients undergoing vitrectomy for maculopathy increased year by year. Vitrectomies for maculopathy were performed on 195 cases (14.0%) in the 2010 s, and frequency reached 1 054 cases (27.8%) in the 2019 s. Maculopathy has become the first indication for vitrectomy. For the type of vitrectomy, 13 896 cases (61.8%) were vitrectomy combined with lens surgery, which had been increasing since 2010 (2010, 55.2%; 2019, 69.0%). In the vitreous substitute of vitrectomy, gas and silicone oil were the main vitreous substitutes after vitrectomy (2010, 83.4%; 2019, 74.9%). The proportion of silicone oil decreased in the latter 5 years (2010 to 2014 ranged from 40.2% to 43.8%; 2015 to 2019 ranged from 34.1% to 39.6%).

Retinal detachment, maculopathy and diabetic retinopathy from ocular trauma were the leading indications for vitrectomy, and maculopathy increased rapidly in the Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University from 2010 to 2019. Vitrectomy combined with lens surgery is becoming the mainstream procedure for vitrectomy and the proportion of silicone oil used for filling decreased gradually over the 10 years.

vitreoretinopathy; vitrectomy; indication; vitreous substitute