Pituitary ablation for diabetic retinopathy. I. Results of hypophysectomy. (A ten-year evaluation)

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Abstract
During a ten-year period (1955-1966), 56 patients underwent surgical hypophysectomy for the treatment of progressive diabetic retinopathy. Of 47 patients who had adequate follow-up study for evaluation of the effects on the course of the retinopathy, 37 (78.7%) were benefited. After the early experience with hypophysectomy in 18 unselected patients resulting in 4 postoperative deaths, a more rigid selection on the basis of age and cardiovascular and renal function resulted in avoiding postoperative mortality in the next 38 patients. Hypophysectomy appears to be a desirable method of treatment in the carefully selected diabetic patient who is threatened with blindness.