One hundred and eighty-nine cases of retinal detachment complicated with advanced proliferative vitreoretinopathy (grade C or D)were treated with scleral buckling or vitreous surgery,The reattachment rate was 63% ,ranging from 87.5% in grade C1 to 30.4% in grade D3.Retinas were reattached in 119,of which the postoperative visual acuity was counting finger or better in 95.8% and 20/200 or better in 26.9% in those cases,of grade C1 to C2 without proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The major causes of surgical failure were development of new or recurrent anterior PVR(51.4%),posterior epiretinal proliferation making pre-existing retinal breaks open and creation of new breaks (25.7%). Finally,we discussed the time of vitreoretinal surgery,methods of operation and the formation of anterior PVR. （Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1994,10:199-202）