What Is Vitrectomy And Why Do You Need It?

There are various eye conditions that require immediate medical attention. If any time is wasted, the vision may be compromised.

Therefore, when it comes to problems of the eye, it is important to get in touch with an ophthalmologist.

Ophthalmologists perform eye treatments and surgeries, including vitrectomy. In this article, we’ll explore what it is and why it’s done.

What Is Vitrectomy?

Vitrectomy is a kind of eye surgery that treats problems of the retina and vitreous. An ophthalmologist may conduct a vitrectomy to keep the blood or other things from blocking light from focusing on the retina.

In vitrectomy, an ophthalmologist removes the vitreous from the middle of the eye, and replaces it with either saline solution or a bubble of oil or gas.

The modern technique of vitrectomy was developed by a team of Spanish ophthalmologists. You can visit this site for more information: https://www.medical-solutions-bcn.com/en/retinal-detachment-surgery-vitrectomy/

Reasons Of Getting Vitrectomy

For you to see, light has to pass through your eyes and reach the retina-the tissue at the back of your eye that senses light and sends signals to your brain.

There are many reasons that cause the fluid in the vitreous to become cloudy, bloody, or have debris. This can result in obscuring light from reaching the retina, and consequently, vision problems. By removing the damaged fluid and replacing it with gas or oil can help the vision get better.

Some of the reasons why you may need a vitrectomy include:

·         Damaged blood vessels in the retina

·         Eye injuries

·         Eye infections

·         Wrinkles in the retina

How To Prepare Before The Surgery

If your ophthalmologist decides that vitrectomy is the best solution for your particular condition, here are a few ways to prepare.

·         If you’re on medications, please ask your doctor if you would need to stop those.

·         Ask your doctor if you would need to stop taking foods and drinks before your surgery.

·         Ask what anesthesia options you have.

·         It is better to know how long the surgery would take.

It is likely that your ophthalmologist will test your eyes before the surgery with their special light and tools. They may even do an ultrasound before to take a closer look at your retina.

Surgery Procedure

A vitrectomy surgery can take an hour to a few hours depending on the condition your doctor is treating. You may get general anesthesia, or local anesthesia in which you would be awake and get numbing shots or drops.

Your doctor will make an incision in the white part of your eye, clear the liquid out with their tools, and clear out the debris. The eye will be filled with saline. If your doctor fills your eye with silicone oil, another surgery will be done later on to replace it and fill the eye with saline.

You might need stitches to repair the cuts, or your doctor will put an antibiotic ointment and put a patch on top.

You can visit this site to have more information about the surgical procedure.

How To Prepare For Recovery

You would have to plan to have someone take you home after the surgery as you wouldn’t be able to drive.

Your doctor may also give you antibiotic drops to put in your eye to prevent an infection. Moreover, you can take over-the-counter pain killers if your eye hurts.

Your doctor will also want to have a follow up with you after the surgery. Make sure to visit your doctor on your appointment day.

Within a few days, you should be able to resume your routine functions. If your surgery was more comprehensive, you may need to wait a few weeks.

Risks Or Complications

Vitrectomy is a straightforward, successful operation with little risks and side effects. If the treatment was performed to repair substantial damage to your eye or retina, your risk of problems may be higher.

A Final Word

In this article, we discussed vitrectomy, what it is, why it’s done, the procedure, recovery, and complications involved.

If you’re getting a vitrectomy from Spanish ophthalmologists, you wouldn’t need to get worried as they are one of the best in the world. In fact, modern ways of vitrectomy were introduced by Spanish ophthalmologists.

We hope that this article helps you in learning more about vitrectomy, and prepares you for your surgery in case you’re having one soon.