Vitreoretinal Surgery

Vitreoretinal eye surgery is an advanced procedure performed deep within the eye’s interior where the retina and vitreous – a jelly-like substance that fills the cavity between the lens of eye and the retina are located. Its purpose is to restore, preserve, and improve your vision for a wide range of conditions, including:

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Floaters and flashes
• Macular holes
• Retina detachments and tears
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Retinoblastoma (eye cancer)

What to Expect From Vitreoretinal Surgery

During the procedure, your eye is anesthetized numbed and dilated. It is then cleaned with an antiseptic solution and draped with a sterile covering. An eyelid speculum is used to keep your eye open while a protective covering is placed over the area of the eye not being operated on.

Next, the surgeon makes a small incision in the outer membrane of the eye to access the affected area. A microscope and fiber-optic light is inserted to see the eye. The surgeon uses a vitrector or vitrectomy probe to cut the vitreous gel and a suction tool to remove fluid. Depending on your case, the surgeon may insert a silicone-tipped needle to drain infected, cloudy, or bloody fluid or use a laser probe to treat abnormal blood vessels or clots and seal off any retinal injuries, such as holes or tears.

Finally, the surgeon fills the eye with a vitreous substitute and applies an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection before covering the eye.