vitrectomy

[ross27]

my husband just has a vitrectomy 5 days ago, and he doesn´t want to use the antibiotics drops, because he said that it itchs or something like that, my question is: how can it affect the eye?? If he has a risk for infection, what can I do to avoid it?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[MrRLK]

I had a vitrectomy on Oct 14th, 10 days ago.  I am severely myopic (-16).  Family history of cataracts and detached retinas.  Father had cat/dr, Mother had cat, Broth had cat/dr, Broth had cat, sister had dr/cat, I had dr.  Several days after my vitrectomy, my eye was swelling on the outside, very scary.  Called their office to get emergency apt.  Saw a young MD who misdiagosed me, blamed for not wearing my eye cup.  Prescribed antiobiotic ointment to be put in eye every hour for 48 hours, did not get better.  Fortunately, I saw my surgeon (former chief of surgery, opthamalogy, Baylor College of Medicine) on Wed.  He instantly saw it as an allergic reaction, stopped all drops except pred and gave me erothymycin ointment.  After 48 hours big drop in swelling.  If his eye is swelling on the outside, he may have an allergy to the drops.  An EXPERIENCED SURGEON will probably know.  Avoid the young docs just learning their trade.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You need to discusss this immediately with your retina surgeon by phone. Failure to use the anitbiotics properly can lead to an ultra serious infection in the eye (endophthalmitis) that can destroy the eye.

JCH MD