Vitrectomy surgery is done to remove vitreous humor from the eye. This vitreous humor is a gel like substance which is clear in form and fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball. It is sometimes called as the vitreous body or simply the “the vitreous”. It is similar in composition as the cornea of the human eye but contains fewer cells, has no blood vessels, and contains almost 100% water with salts, sugar, and collagen with micro amount of protein.
Vitrectomy surgery is usually performed for most outpatient cases. The patient could go home immediately after the surgery is done; but for some reason, the patient could stay in the hospital for about 24 hours for medical purposes. The procedure is started by using local anesthesia while the patient is unconscious or asleep.
The eye will be wide open using speculum to hold the eyelids securely, while the other eye that is not going to be treated will be covered. The surgery starts with an incision of 2mm on the other side of the eye for it to insert an infusion line to maintain the eye’s constant pressure. After inserting the infusion, another microscopic cutting device will be inserted on the other side of the eyeball, in which it will suck out the vitreous fluid inside. Another microscopic light device is going to be inserted to the upper right side of the eyeball. It is inserted to clearly visualize what is going on inside the eye while doing the vitrectomy surgery.
After taking out the vitreous fluid, a special kind of saline solution is used to fill the space where the vitreous fluid is placed. For closing the incisions made through the both sides of the eyeball, small absorbable stitches are used. To prevent the treated eye from having infections, an antibiotic is injected.
Vitrectomy surgery is performed by many eye specialist surgeons for over thirty years now, but still, there are several risks to consider. For some reason, there could be a problem about retinal detachment; there is a chance to develop glaucoma caused by increased pressure on the eye and cataract formation. The patient could experience some redness and pain in the eye, blurred or double vision, swelling of the layers under the retina, refractive changes, and even blindness that need to undergo additional treatment or surgery.
After undergoing Vitrectomy surgery, some post-operative instructions and guidelines are needed for fast recovery. To start with, the patient is prescribed with an anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotic drops immediately after removing the eye patch or for any reason, the doctor will advise the patient to continuously do it for three to seven days period. This is to prevent the treated eye against infections.
It is strongly recommended to wear an eye plastic protector while sleeping so as to avoid sudden movements and accidents. This is done for about one week and should also be put on while having a shower. It is advisable to avoid lifting objects that are too heavy or doing some heavy activities. It is very important to have regular visits to the doctor for follow up.