Forty-four patients with central retinal vein occlusion, who had been treated with decompression of the central retinal artery and vein by section of the posterior scleral ring were studied, in order to evaluate the benefit of the surgery. Our results were compared with others in which the disease was left to follow its natural course, without any treatment. The most common associated vascular disease was systemic hypertension. The visual prognosis was better in venous stasis retinopathy than in hemorrhagic retinopathy. In the present article, special emphasis was placed on the occurrence of neovascular glaucoma after surgery.