Vitrectomy Experiences

Doctors say I may end up having a Vitrectomy to remove floaters after a YAG laser treatment.  I have to wait six months to see if the floaters go away by themsleves.  I can't obviously count but I have hundreds of floaters right now casting a curtain of shadows on my retina, it is not just a few.

My question to the community here is who has had a vitrectomy before for any type of problem.  I'd like to know your experinces and outcomes.  I'd like to know as it would eventually help with deciding what to do with my surgey if it comes to that.  From reading and talking to doctors I know that there is a chance of a cataract forming which for me it is not an issue becasue my problem eye had a cataract which was removed.  Second major risk is retinal detachment / holes.  My understanding is that there is a 3 - 5% risk of either of these complications occuring after a vitrectomy.  My eye is healty I have had no retinal issues.  Only issue was the congenital cataract.  I have 20/30 vision in that eye.

Please let me know of your vitrectomy results.

Thanks

[JodieJ]

I had a vitrectomy to peel an epiretinal membrane.  I don't believe that the vitrectomy had any effect on my acuity.  There is currently new "sutureless" vitrectomy equipment available, which will make your recovery much quicker and more comfortable than the older instruments requiring sutures.  The procedure is usually done with local anesthesia (you'll be awake); neither the procedure nor your recovery will be painful.  I never needed a Tylenol.  Your eye will be red for a week or two, but you should be feeling fine immediately after surgery.  If you do decide to proceed, see an experienced retinal surgeon.

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

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[OldNavy966]

I had a vitrectomy to remove very bothersome floaters.  It worked out almost perfect for me after many years.I don't know how old you are but plan on having cataracts earlier than anticipated.  I am only 33 and you can find me on the "which iol is best for me boards".  If you don't know what an IOL is then you might want to research that first.

[OldNavy966]

Sorry, didn't see that you had already had cataract surgery. Belay my last.

[juanmc12]

Thanks OldNavy9

It was a while ago so your surgery was done with sutures?  The new 23/25 gauge surgeries seem even less evasive.  Yes I was born with a cataract in one eye and I did not have it removed until 21 years of age. The eye is about 20/30 after lasik.  My other eye is 20/20.  So I am fortunate but becuase I am young and some blured vision and veils in my catarct eye I went through a YAG surgery procedure.  It made things worse because now all that debris is swarming in my eye.  It is really bothersome.  I am waiting out the suggested 6 month period to see what the mind/body does with them but if I stil feel the same way I will have the vitrectomy.

Questions on your experince:
Suturless or not?
What was your recovery time?
What percentage did the floaters reduce by?

[1077]

I had a vitrectomy for macular hole in my left eye on March 30. On May 6 I was diagnosed with retina detachment and re-operated May 7 by another doctor who said he did not see such a detachment in any similar situation in 15 years of practice. He also commented that, had it happened to him, he would have jumped out the window. So the 3-5% chances that you read about are probably a function of the surgeon doing the procedure. Get all the possible info about the doctor's experiences before you submit. They put a gas bubble in your eye to hold the retina in place while healing. It is quite uncomfortable for the first two weeks as you have to preserve a face-down position 24/7. It is supposed to last 8-10 weeks. Because of the second operation I have now had a bubble in my left eye for over 3 months. It is shrinking, slowly, and I hope to get rid of it within another week or two.  I also developed a vein-occlusion. It is said that it can only come from high blood pressure or high cholesterol but I do suspect the first surgeon's error that caused the retina detachment to have caused the vein occlusion as well. No easy way to prove but the bottom line is that before the first surgery I had a 10% vision loss in that I could not read with my left eye but could use my eye for everything else. Now I have a 90% vision loss which, according to my doctor, will keep improving "with God's help" over the following year or so. I should not hope for 20/20 vision though he said. He does not say what I should hope for and I do not ask. What's the point? I am working at accepting psychologically that one can live with one eye. Praying (here is God again vs. medical science) that my right eye holds up... which is not a given!

[OldNavy966]

Answers to your questions based on my experience:

1. Suturless or not?
Yes it was suturless or self disolving suturess.
2. What was your recovery time?
For my first eye, my right dominante eye, it took about two weeks with marked improvment with each day.
For my left, non dominante eye, vision became clearer in about two weeks also.  Being in the navy at that time I was ordered back too soon and the eye degraded.  I took another week or two off and it also recovered nicely, although the doc didn't take out all the vitreous and I still have some visable vitreous to my temporal side.
3.What percentage did the floaters reduce by?
99.9% nothing at all to notice or bother me the slightest.
The doc was going to remove the remaining vitroues visable in my left eye but I back out at the last minute.  Now I see it's not worth the risk to remove the rest.  
Just weigh the risks. ..
best of luck

[OldNavy966]

By the way, I didn't have to lie face down as member 1077.  Since I didn't have a detached retina, the doc just removed the vitreous and placed a type of salin solution in the eye.  I could see the large bubbles for about two weeks though.  The bubbles got progresivley smaller until they disapeared.  I took it easy for the two weeks with a patch on the eye but could get around.

[juanmc12]

Old Navy,

What surgeon did you go to?  Did you do any background check on your surgeon.  I am stuggling on how to go about doing this.  Or was it a military surgeon?

[matt_ret_d_vitrectomy]

Search for my posts to read about my experiences with vitrectomy to correct a retinal detachment.
I would suggest waiting the 6 months and comparing your vision then.
I don't think a vitrectomy is a minor procedure, and shouldn't be undertaken lightly, despite the recent advances.
Good luck!

1077: Sorry you had such an inconsiderate Dr who let fly his emotional comments.  No doubt he has not had serious eye trouble himself!  

[frwbeach]

Great post. I cannot believe the doc would make such a statement. I have had multiple eye issues and several separate issues at the same time that the docs have said they make the overall treatment somewhat complicated but never such an IRRESPONSIBLE statement. Would have been my ex doc immediately- one thing i have learned is that good eye docs posses the ability to listen with compassion to a patients sight issues . I also realized ( after 38 years of excellant vision ) that anyone with normal vision cannot fully comprehend sight issues., The very good eye docs do a super job in understanding the patients point of view .

    I also like your advise to wait and see.  I had Vitrectomy and pucker peel that was needed and it took my vision from 20-120  to 2-60 in a matter of weeks. It was also enlightening to see under the lights for surgery- the floaters were very obvious and covered the whole area-and watching them get flushed away was something.  But like you said wait and see first- I have floaters from time to time now but they go away and vision gets back to normal .