4 Things You Should Know About Vitrectomy Surgery
Your eyes are your window to the world. They allow you to see in order to perform all sorts of necessary tasks and fun activities. Unfortunately, your eyes can sometimes become injured, in which case you may need the assistance of an eye surgeon. One of the most common types of eye surgery is vitrectomy surgery, but you may not have heard of it before. The idea of someone operating on your eye can be frightening, but there's nothing to worry about. Here are four things you should know about vitrectomy surgery:
1. It's usually performed in conjunction with other procedures.
Vitrectomy surgery is the removal of some of the vitreous humor gel that makes up most of the volume of your eyes. There are a few reasons this gel might need to be removed. In some cases, such as following a traumatic injury, you may need a vitrectomy surgery to remove leaking vitreous humor gel. In other cases, the gel may need to be removed to provide your eye surgeon with better access to another part of your eye.
2. It can be performed while you're awake or asleep.
Most vitrectomy surgeries are performed on patients who are awake but sedated. Since the surgery is relatively painless, local anesthesia administered via eye drops is usually enough to numb the area. If you're particularly nervous, your doctor may allow you to opt for general anesthesia so you can sleep through the operation. No matter which option you choose, you should arrange for someone to pick you up following the surgery. Your vision may be cloudy, and your doctor may tell you to rest your eyes for a few days.
3. You probably won't need stitches.
Vitrectomy surgery is performed using very small tools. According to the American Society of Retina Specialists, your doctor will make a cut that is smaller than one millimeter in length in order to remove the necessary vitreous gel. Since the incision is so small, it will be able to heal on its own without the intervention of stitches. Your eye surgeon may inject your eye with a gas bubble or silicone oil following the vitrectomy in order to refill the volume of your eye.
4. It can restore your eyesight in some cases.
If your vision has become cloudy due to degradation of the vitreous humor gel in your eyes, vitrectomy surgery can restore your eyesight by removing the problematic gel. Vitreous humor gel is supposed to be clear; if it becomes opaque, that can cause issues that require removal.