Vitrectomy Surgery: Risks and Patient Care Strategies in India

For eye problems associated with the retina or vitreous, vitrectomy in India involves removing the vitreous gel that fills the posterior cavity/chamber of the eye. This operation offers better access to the eye’s retina for various treatments like removing scar tissue, repairing retinal detachments, and treating macular holes.

Once the vitrectomy is complete, the eye surgeon or ophthalmologist will replace the natural vitreous gel with either a saline solution or silicone oil or gas bubble. It helps the retina to stay in position.

 

Risks Related to Vitrectomy Surgery

Risks and complications are part of vitrectomy surgery. Like any other surgery, vitrectomy in India also involves some risks and complications:

• Cataract: Cataract is the most common aftereffect of vitrectomy surgery. Cataract progression after surgery is faster than in eyes that have not undergone vitrectomy surgery.
• Retinal tears: These can form during the surgery, which is treated with the laser during surgery. When the vitrectomy surgery is complete, the retinal periphery is carefully examined to look for any unnoticed retinal tears.
• Retinal detachment: This is avoidable by carefully examining retinal tears at the end of surgery and treating them with the laser.

 

• Eye infection/ endophthalmitis
• Bleeding

 

• Glaucoma: Vitrectomy surgery does not cause glaucoma in and of itself, but the intraocular tamponading agents like silicone oil and expansile gases like perfluoro propane (C3F8) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) can cause glaucoma. Therefore, all the patients post vitrectomy in India are routinely examined for intraocular pressure at each follow-up visit.
• Advances in tools, techniques, and understanding of complex eye diseases have made vitrectomy in India more successful in recent times.

 

Vitrectomy in India: What to Expect After the Surgery?

Retina specialists and ophthalmologists with special training in managing vitreoretinal diseases perform vitrectomy surgery in India. Vitrectomy surgeries are a day care surgical procedure. During a day care procedure, patients remain in the hospital for 5 to 6 hours during the day and are discharged at the end of the day. Most eye-related surgeries are performed as day care surgeries, and overnight stay is never required.

 

To protect the operated eye from injury, it’s patched with a protective bandage and shielded after surgery.

 

Patient Care Strategies For the Successful Outcome of the Surgery

Travel Safety

Patients can leave the hospital after a thorough eye checkup and go home within an hour. However, because the surgery involves the use of light sedation, you will need a driver or family member to take you back home.

Eye Patch

Don’t forget to wear the eye patch for the first night or as instructed by the ophthalmologist after surgery. If your ophthalmologist removes your eye patch one day after surgery, you might not need to wear it yourself.

Eye Protection

It is best to wear prescription glasses or sunglasses during the day. Also, it’s advised to wear the eye shield over the operated eye when sleeping at night for the first week after vitrectomy surgery. Avoid flying for a few days after the operation.

Position

If the silicone oil or gas bubble is used in eye treatment, your doctor will ask you to follow specific instructions. These include things like face-down head positioning or time duration for which you need to follow the instructions, not ascending to higher altitudes, etc. It’s important to follow these instructions because the oil or gas bubble helps to reposition the retina back to its normal state until the eye recovers.

On your first postoperative visit, your ophthalmologist will review instructions related to positioning, drops, medications, use of the eye patch, and daily activities. Driving should be avoided for two weeks after vitrectomy surgery. It’s better to wait for complete visual recovery and get your doctor’s permission before you start driving.

Postoperative care of high quality improves recovery. Although removing the vitreous gel and performing a vitrectomy has little to no effect on the overall eye health, it’s best to take proper care of the eye. Because of vitrectomy in India, surgery for eye diseases like macular holes, which were once considered incurable, is routinely performed with excellent results.

 

Visual Recovery After Vitrectomy in India

Visual recovery depends on the type of disease, the initial vision, the vision right before the disease started, and the time elapsed between symptom onset and the day of surgery.                                                       

                              

About Curebridge

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Curebridge has a team of seasoned professionals adept at guiding patients through the intricacies of the Indian healthcare system. The platform is committed to providing transparent and affordable pricing, offering patients various payment options to suit their circumstances.

For more details, chat with us at +91-9152065206 or email [email protected].