Objective To observe the therapeutic efficacy and postoperative complications of combined surgery and sequential surgery in treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and cataract. Methods The cilinical data of 59 patients (66 eyes) with PDR were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into combinedsurgery group and sequential surgery group. Combined surgery was performed on patients with obvious lens opacity which was an obstacle to the ocular fundus surgery, while sequential surgery was performed on the patients with transparent lens or lens with light opacity on which ocular fundus surgery could be performed. Lens excision in cataractopoiesis could only be performed when the state of ocular fundus was stable and cataractopoiesis was the main cause of vision damage. A total of 28 patients (32 eyes) in combinedsurgery group underwent vitrectomy combined with phacoemulsification and IOL implantation; 31 patients (34 eyes ) in sequentialsurgery group underwent vitrectomy, lens excision and IOL implantation. Corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and complications were observed. The mean followup period was (25plusmn;8.5) months. The measurement data were analyzed with t test and enumeration data with 2 test. Results In combinedsurgery group, visual acuity improvement was achieved in 27 eyes （84.4%）, remained unchanged in 2 eyes （6.3%）and decreased in 3 eyes （9.4%）. In sequentialsurgery group, visual acuity improved in 26 eyes （76.5%）, remained unchanged in 2 eyes（5.8%）and decreased in 6 eyes（17.7%.）. However, anterior chamber fibrin exudation occurred in 4 eyes in the combinedsurgery group and no eyes in the sequentialsurgery group; compared with each other, the difference is statistically significant (chi;2=4.524，P=0.033). Conclusion Combined surgery and sequential surgery are all safe and effective on treating PDR and postoperative complications have no obvious correlation with the surgery procedure.