Vitreous Surgery

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Vitreous Surgery

Overview

What is the vitreous replaced with?
The vitreous cavity is filled with physiological ringer lactate solution at the conclusion of surgery. This gets replaced by the aqueous – a fluid that is normally secreted by the eye (not the tears). In complicated cases the surgeon may inject specialized gases or silicone oil inside the eye. If gas is injected the same gets replaced by the aqueous over a period of several weeks while silicone oil needs to be removed after a few months provided the retinal condition is healthy.

Can an eye function normally if the vitreous is removed?
Yes, as long as the other structures of the eye are healthy removing the vitreous does not interfere with the function of the eye.

What type of anaesthesia is given for vitreous surgery?
Depending on the complexity of the problem, the surgery can be done either under local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia. Children of course are always operated under general anaesthesia.

What does the surgery involve?

Primarily the surgery involves making 3 tiny holes of less than 1 mm. in size in the white portion of the eye wall (sclera). Through one of these holes a metal pipe is placed to inject fluid. Through one other hole a fine tool called the vitrector is introduced.

This high technology precision instrument enables the removal of the gel. To see inside the eye, the surgeon uses a fibre optic cable through the third hole. All the instruments the surgeon uses are tiny and made with high precision. These tools include a variety of forceps and scissors and laser fibre optic cables.

In view of the fine surgery involved the surgeon uses high magnification using the operating microscope. The surgery involves not just removing the vitreous gel but to attend to the damage caused to the neighbouring structures by the disease.

Can repeat surgery be done on the vitreous if it has already been removed once?

Yes, repeat surgery does not mean gel is removed twice. As has been mentioned the gel is not formed again once it is removed. However the term "Vitreous Surgery" is applied to all the manoeuvres performed in the vitreous cavity to correct other problems and not necessarily to remove the gel alone.

The brochure gives you a general idea regarding the vitreous surgery but may not answer all the questions related to your specific disease. We suggest that you read similar pamphlets on the specific disease that you may be suffering from in order to understand more about your specific problem.

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