Vitrectomy Hawaii

Vitrectomy is the surgical removal of the jelly in the back of the eye (vitreous). The vitreous is not needed to see well, and can be safely removed from the eye. Vitrectomy is performed to fix many conditions including but not limited to retinal detachment, macular hole, macular pucker, vitreous hemorrhage, diabetic retinopathy, vein occlusions, retained lens fragments, dislocated lens implant, and severe eye injury. Vitrectomy is performed in the operating room either under local or general anesthesia. Three small incisions (< 1mm in size ) are made into the sclera (white part of eye). An infusion line is placed into one of the incisions to fill the eye with a salt solution to replace the vitreous as it is removed from the eye. Microscopic instruments are then inserted into the two remaining incisions to perform the necessary operation. Instruments that are used for the vitrectomy include light sources to help with visualization, microscopic forceps, scissor, cutters, and lasers. At the end of the operation, it is sometimes necessary to place either a gas bubble or silicone oil into the eye to help push and keep the retina in good position. The gas bubble can last anywhere between several days to weeks and will eventually get reabsorbed by the eye and replaced with the body’s own fluids anywhere. During the time that one has a bubble in the eye, they will may need to maintain their head in certain positions and avoid flying at very high altitudes.