The Vitrectomy Intervention And The Risks Involved

Among the most serious consequences of ocular problems or cataract correction operation, is the detachment of the retina. Hence, leading to worsening of the ocular health that affects the most important inner membrane of the bulb. This severely compromises the vision and needs to be attended immediately in case of development. The last remedy for the detachment of the retina is vitrectomy: an operation consisting of removing the vitreous, thus presenting many risks.

Vitrectomy And Retinal Detachment

In the unfortunate event of arriving at the extreme consequence of retinal detachment, the symptoms will start appearing rapidly. Initially, it will start with the growth of eye floaters and flashes of light. Then the disorders will gradually become more and more serious, leading up to the loss of partial vision, development of dark shadows and inability of reading. When it is neglected to the point that it reaches the last stage, retinal detachment can ultimately result in eye loss.

Depending on the stage of retinal detachment, there are different methods for its remedy. If the condition is at its initial stage, a slightly invasive laser operation will be sufficient. However, if the detachment is at an advanced stage, it will be necessary to undergo a retinal encircling operation. Ultimately, when the state of the eye reaches the final stage, the remedy is vitrectomy.

What Is Vitrectomy

Vitrectomy is an operation that is carried out only in cases of extreme retinal detachment. It is a highly invasive surgery, which carries risks and significant sequelae. To be more precise, the purpose of this operation is to remove the vitreous body i.e. the gelatinous substance present between the iris and retina, and replace it with an artificial substitute.

Intervention And Duration

The vitrectomy operation generally lasts 1-2 hours and involves the use of three instruments that are inserted into the eye: a probe that injects water to maintain constant eye pressure despite the removal of the vitreous, a fiber optic to illuminate the operation and the vitroctomo, an instrument that carries out the main operation. In the past, this type of intervention led to a long, difficult and very painful post-operative procedure. Today, with the improvement of both eye surgeries and instrument techniques, the method of minimally invasive vitrectomy is applied. This reduces the size of the instruments used and the consequent incisions make recovery decidedly more bearable for the patient.

Vitrectomy: Risks?

The operation involving the removal of the vitreous is a sensitive procedure which is preferred to be avoided as much as possible because it is invasive, painful and prone to after-effects. The risks of vitrectomy are many and some may appear time to time after surgery which include:

• post-operative bleeding
• retinal detachment
• opacification of the lens
• glaucoma
• loss of sight
• anatomical loss of the eye

Moreover, since vitrectomy surgery is a complex intervention, the operation can result in partial or no recovery of sight.

Vitrectomy And Cataract

Vitrectomy and cataract are connected in a bidirectional way: Cataract is one of the possible risks that might occur as a post-operative effect of the surgery. Hence, the patient should be prepared to face a possibility of after-effects, that can be equally invasive as vitrectomy itself.

An Invasive But Useful Operation

In conclusion, despite the progress of medical science in the field of ocular microsurgery, vitrectomy is an intervention that is preferred to be avoided as much as possible due to its painful recovery, the risks it entails and the invasiveness. The key for prevention is to take periodic control of the health of one’s eyes: a visit to a trusted doctor could prevent you from having a vitreous removal operation.