Vitrectomy Surgery
Vitrectomy is the surgical removal of the vitreous gel from the middle of the eye . It may be done when there is a retinal detachment, because removing the vitreous gel gives your eye doctor (ophthalmologist) better access to the back of the eye. The vitreous gel may also be removed if blood in the vitreous gel (vitreous hemorrhage) does not clear on its own.
During a vitrectomy, the surgeon inserts small instruments into the eye, cuts the vitreous gel, and suctions it out. After removing the vitreous gel, the surgeon may treat the retina with a laser (photocoagulation), cut or remove fibrous or scar tissue from the retina, flatten areas where the retina has become detached, or repair tears or holes in the retina or macula.
At the end of the surgery, silicone oil or a gas is injected into the eye to replace the vitreous gel and restore normal pressure in the eye.
Vitrectomy is always done by an eye doctor who has special training in treating problems of the retina.
What To Expect After Surgery
Vitrectomy may require an overnight hospital stay. But it may sometimes be done as outpatient surgery. The surgery lasts 2 to 3 hours. Your eye doctor will determine if the surgery can be done with local or general anesthesia.
Vitrectomy may be done to:
- Repair or prevent traction retinal detachment, especially when it threatens to affect the macula.
- Repair very large tears in the retina.
- Reduce vision loss caused by bleeding in the vitreous gel (vitreous hemorrhage) when bleeding is severe or when the blood does not clear on its own after several months.
- Treat severe proliferative retinopathy that causes severe scar tissue formation or when growth of new blood vessels on the retina (neovascularization) continues despite repeated laser treatment
Information provided by WebMD
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