With the development of vitreoretinal surgery, problems and issues related to various approaches to the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy are becoming increasingly important. This review presents the issues of pathogenesis, epidemiology, classification, surgical treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, as well as the evolution of the technique, and its transition from the application of greater surgical access to small. The data on the existence of surgical access through a small caliber, bimanual technique, types of tamponade substances used in the course of surgical intervention in this pathology are given. Also, in this review is considered a phased surgical technique in the treatment of traction retinal detachment, tools used, including vitreous, endovitreal tweezers, endovitreal scissors and others. Despite advances in the treatment of ocular manifestations of diabetes mellitus, glycemic control, advances in laser surgery, vitreoretinal surgery, traction retinal detachment remains a serious problem, causing decreased vision in patients with both type I and type II diabetes, and requires immediate surgical intervention.