What is Vitrectomy?

A vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that is done to remove the fluid, called vitreous humor or just vitreous, inside your eyeball.

Vitreous might be removed for many reasons. It is most commonly done so that your surgeon could access your retina, a layer of tissue at the back of your eye that is connected to your optic nerve. The retina sends signals to your brain so that you could see.

Purpose

A vitrectomy might be done if your vitreous is infected, inflamed, or filled with blood or bits of tissue called floaters. A vitrectomy could also help your doctor treat conditions that can affect your retina or the inside of your eyeball, like:

• Bleeding inside your eye
• Eye infections (endophthalmitis)
• Cataracts
• Wrinkles, tears, or injury in the retina
• Detached retina, which occurs when your retina separates from its usual place and floats around in your eye
• Major trauma or injury to your eye
• Diabetic retinopathy occurs when complications from diabetes damage your retina
• Macular hole, which occurs when the tissue in your retina that helps you see details is damaged

The success rate for vitrectomy is around 90 percent, even if you are over 60.

How is a vitrectomy done?

Before you go to a hospital or clinic to have this procedure done, make sure someone could take you home and that you could get a few days off work or other activities. Your doctor might ask you not to eat or drink anything eight hours before the surgery.

Once you have been admitted and prepped for surgery, you will be given mild anesthesia to numb your eye unless you prefer general anesthesia so that you could remain unconscious throughout the procedure. General anesthesia has more risks and side effects, so your doctor might not recommend using it unless you have anxiety about the surgery.

During the procedure, your surgeon:

• Ensures that your eyelids are fully opened.
• Cuts through the first layer of your eye tissue.
• Cuts into the white tissue of your eye called the sclera.
• Inserts cutters, scissors, and forceps across one of the cuts.
• Inserts a fiber-optic light into one of the other cuts to view the inside of your eye.
• Removes vitreous and other essential tissues through one of the cuts.
• Replaces the vitreous with another substance, like gas, air, or a saline solution. This substance will ultimately be replaced by a fluid that your eye naturally creates.
• Performs any other surgeries to repair your retina or remove damaged tissue from the eye, like using a laser to fix any problems with your retina.
• Takes out the tools and lights and stitches up the openings in your eye. In many cases, your doctor may not need to use stitches.

What’s recovery like after a vitrectomy?

After your recovery, your doctor will monitor your condition and let you know when you are able to leave the hospital. You should be able to go home the same day, but you might need to stay overnight if other procedures were done.

Make sure a friend or family member could drive you home. While you are recovering:

• Take the eye drops your doctor prescribes to prevent any eye infections.
• Do not drive until your doctor says that your vision has returned to normal.
• Do not fly or travel to high altitudes until your doctor says it is okay to do so.
• Do not lift anything over ten pounds or do any strenuous physical activity.
• Lie face down or turn your head to one side for a long period of time after your surgery according to your doctor’s instructions. If your eye was filled with gas or some other substance, this helps maintain pressure in your eye.

Your doctor will suggest using pain medications, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil), to help manage any pain or soreness in your eye. Your doctor may also ask you to wear an eye patch for a few days.

You should be able to get back to your normal activities within a few days. You might need to wait a few weeks if your surgery was more extensive.

How much does a vitrectomy cost?

The cost for a vitrectomy could differ based on your health insurance plan and the surgeon you choose to do the procedure.

Are there any risks or complications?

Vitrectomy is a simple and effective procedure with few risks and complications. Your risk for complications might be higher if the procedure was performed to repair extensive damage to your eye or retina.

Possible complications of a vitrectomy include:

• Retinal tearing or detaching
• Bleeding in the eye
• Infections
• Complications from anesthesia, like pneumonia or stroke
• Formation of too much scar tissue within the eye
• Decrease in vision
• Blindness

Outlook

A vitrectomy is a low-risk procedure with a high chance of success that could treat many eye conditions.

In some cases, your vision might improve if substances or blood in your vitreous were causing you to have clouded or blurry vision. Before you have this procedure done, speak to your doctor about what to expect from your vision.

Hill Regional (HRH) Hospital is here to assist all your medical needs with specialists and surgeons trained and experienced in the most advanced treatments. Our highly qualified doctors, nurses, and administrators are dedicated to caring for you with compassion in our state-of-the-art facilities.

Call us on 254-580-8500 to book an appointment with our specialist doctors.