Procedures

Retinal Surgery

Saving Eye-Sight & Preserving Vision

Many conditions can affect the retina (the layer at the back of the eye responsible for converting light into images) such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, retinal detachment, macular hole, epiretinal membrane, and some inherited diseases as retinitis pigmentosa.

Depending on the type of retinal disease, treatment can stop the disease or slow down how quickly it gets worse. Therapy options include:

Vitrectomy:

Vitrectomy is a surgical procedure to treat the following types of retinal disease:

  • Retinal detachments.
  • Macular pucker (epiretinal membrane).
  • Macular hole.
  • Eye injuries, including foreign objects in your eye.
  • Eye infections.

Vitrectomy overview

What you Need to Know about Vitrectomy
- A vitrectomy is an eye surgery that removes the vitreous fluid ( a gel-like substance that fills the center of your eyeball) and replace it with sterile salt water , silicone oil or a gas bubble until your body begins producing vitreous again . It can be done to remove cloudy fluid or fluid with debris or to do repairs on your retina or macula

You may need a vitrectomy if you have an eye condition that:

1- Causes your vitreous to become cloudy. This is often due to vitreous hemorrhage or bleeding in your eye.
2- Causes pulling on or damage to your retina.
3- Isn’t easy to diagnose.
4- Needs a drug delivery or therapeutic device.

  • Consultation: A thorough consultation with our expert retina surgeon will be conducted. We will discuss your goals, medical history, and perform a detailed eye examination like fundus examination and ultrasound for the vitreous and retina.
  •  Preparation: Before the surgery, you might need to stop some medications , stop eating and drinking for some time before surgery . According to the type of surgery agreed with your surgeon you will be provided with detailed instructions plus a pre and post operative care plan .
  • Anesthesia: Drops are used to numb the eye for the procedure. Local anesthesia and general sedation may be used for some cases.
  • The Procedure: Our surgeons use advanced techniques to achieve the desired results. During vitrectomy, your surgeon uses small tools to cut the vitreous and suction it out. Then your eye care provider does any other needed repairs, such as fixing a hole in your retina. They may place sterile saline, a gas bubble, or a clear liquid called silicone oil into your eye. Gas and silicone oil helps the retina stay in its correct position. The time that you’re in surgery depends on what repairs your eye needs. Simpler surgeries could last an hour, while procedures that are more complicated take longer.
  • Recovery: Your eye may feel puffy or slightly irritated. You may have some redness and bruising. It’s important to use your medicated eye drops as prescribed. You might have imperfect vision for a few days, but it will keep getting better over time.
  • Rest and Recuperation: The doctor may ask you to stay at home and rest for couple of weeks .It is important to follow the surgeon’s instructions to ensure a safe recovery.
  • Post-Operative Care: Our team will provide detailed instructions on how to hold your head when you’re awake and how to sleep correctly. If you have a gas bubble your surgeon will specify when it will be safe to fly.
  • Results Expectations:  Although vitrectomy improves or stabilizes vision in most cases, vision may not be fully normal after the surgery. This is especially true if your condition caused permanent damage to your retina.

Lasers treat:

  • Blood vessels that have grown where they shouldn’t be
  • Retinal tears.
  • Central serous retinopathy.
  • Macular edema

Injecting medicine into the vitreous treat the following retinal conditions:

  • Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).
  • Advanced diabetic retinopathy.
  • Macular edema from various causes.
  • Eye infections.
  • Inflammatory eye diseases.

Treatments for retinal detachment include:

  • Scleral buckle surgery: A surgeon sews a piece of silicone on the outside of your eye to indent your sclera.
  • Cryopexy: Intense cold (cryotherapy) creates scarring that closes a tear or detachment.
  • Pneumatic retinopexy: A surgeon injects a gas bubble into your eye to keep your retina in place. Your provider must use cryotherapy or a laser in combination with this procedure.
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