What Is a Vitrectomy?
A vitrectomy is the surgery that removes the vitreous, the clear gel that fills the inside of the eye, so the surgeon can access and repair the retina. It’s the core procedure of the vitreoretinal subspecialty, and it treats conditions that don’t respond to medical management or that require direct intervention on the retina.
It’s performed with microscopic instruments inserted through tiny incisions in the pars plana, a safe zone of the eye. Once the vitreous is removed, the surgeon has direct access to the retina to peel membranes, close holes, drain blood, apply laser, or reattach a detached retina.
What Conditions Is It Used For?
- Vitreous hemorrhage: blood inside the eye that doesn’t clear on its own, common in advanced diabetic retinopathy
- Epiretinal membrane: a layer of tissue that forms over the macula and distorts vision
- Macular hole: an opening in the center of the retina that affects fine, detailed vision
- Advanced diabetic retinopathy with traction on the retina
- Retinal detachment: to reattach the retina (see also retinal detachment surgery)
Gas and Silicone Oil
In many cases, once surgery is complete, the vitreous space is filled with a material that holds the retina in place while it heals:
- Gas: absorbs on its own over time. Requires keeping your head in a specific position for several days and avoiding air travel until it’s gone.
- Silicone oil: used for complex cases. Removed in a second, scheduled surgery.
Step by Step
- Full evaluation: OCT, ultrasound if the vitreous is cloudy, and surgical planning.
- Anesthesia: local with sedation, or general.
- Microscopic incisions in the pars plana and placement of the instruments.
- Vitreous removal and the specific repair needed (membrane peeling, hole closure, blood drainage, laser, retinal reattachment).
- Gas or oil fill if the case requires it.
- Closure and bandaging. The procedure takes 45 to 90 minutes.
Recovery
Visual recovery is gradual:
- First few weeks: blurry vision, especially if gas was used (you’ll see the bubble move and shrink)
- Discomfort, irritation, and a gritty feeling that ease with eye drops
- Frequent follow-up visits to monitor healing
Full recovery can take anywhere from several weeks to a few months. It’s very common for a cataract to develop or progress after a vitrectomy, which is then treated later with standard cataract surgery.
Why Choose Centro Láser for Your Vitrectomy
Centro Láser has a retina department with fellowship-trained vitreoretinal surgeons and the equipment for modern microsurgery. We perform vitrectomy for the full range of indications, from epiretinal membrane to complex cases of retinal detachment and advanced diabetic retinopathy, with the long-term follow-up these surgeries require.
