A total of 125 consecutive eyes, all registered blind with diabetic vitreous haemorrhage, underwent pars plana vitrectomy with the vitrophage. Sixty-six per cent experienced some improvement in their visual acuity; 24 per cent were unchanged and 10 per cent were worse postoperatively. The major surgical complication was controllable haemorrhage (23 per cent). No retinal dialysis occurred. Significant postoperative complications were transient (71 per cent) and persistent (11 per cent) corneal oedema, early (8 per cent) and late (13 per cent) vitreous haemorrhage, transient (30 per cent) and persistent (6 per cent) rise in intraocular pressure, and rubeosis iridis (5 per cent).