I will arrange to see you 1-2 days following the procedure, then again at 1-2 weeks and 2-3 months. If additional visits are advisable, for example, to check or control your eye pressure, then I will arrange as many visits as required in order to maximise the safety of your eye and to achieve the
After vitrectomy for retinal detachment you will be advised to posture for a few hours looking down towards the floor (prone positioning). After that, the instructions for posturing will depend on the location and number of retinal breaks found during your operation. Posturing, if required, will typically be for 7 days. Instructions will be given
Drops are prescribed to be used for several weeks following the procedure. Additional drops will be prescribed if the pressure in your eye is found to be excessively high at any point. If oil is used, I generally require you to use a few drops a day until the oil bubble is removed.
There may be some discomfort initially which generally becomes less on a day-by-day basis. Scleral buckling surgery tends to produce slightly more discomfort than vitrectomy surgery. Simple oral analgesia such as paracetamol for a few days is usually sufficient. It is common to experience mild itching for 1-2 weeks following surgery.
You will be able to go home 1-2 hours after a local anaesthetic, and slightly longer after a general anaesthetic. The eye pad is removed the next day and you can start instilling your eye drops. There may be a small amount of discharge at this stage. Initially, your vision is likely to be worse
After the anaesthetic is administered, your eye and face will be covered with a sterile drape. The whole vitrectomy operation will then be performed through 3 tiny incisions. You will hear vibrating noises throughout much of the procedure from the vitrectomy machine. You will not be able to see details of what is happening but
I perform most retinal detachment vitrectomy procedures under local anaesthesia, whereby a small amount of anaesthetic is administered around the eye to numb it and permit surgery to performed painlessly. Whilst you will need to be comfortable and lie still for the duration of the procedure, you can feel reassured that if you do need
Retinal re-detachment. The risk of this is 5-10% if you have an uncomplicated primary retinal detachment without PVR scarring (see success rates). Re-detachment would require further surgery Cataract development. This is where the natural lens in the eye becomes cloudy, secondary to the vitrectomy with gas or oil insertion. Cataract surgery is required in the majority of patients within 2 years of
The clear benefit of retinal detachment surgery is that it prevents you from blindness in that eye. The degree of recovery of vision is dependent upon a multitude of factors. These include the initial cause of retinal detachment, extent of retinal detachment by the time of initial surgery, pre-existing eye conditions, the presence of retinal PVR scarring, whether your retina re-detaches, and the success of initial surgery
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