pain after vitrectomy with scleral buckle

I had a vitrectomy and they also placed a scleral buckle for a detached retina on Thurs. June 21 (about 9 days ago). I still have a lot of pain, tylenol helps a little, vicodin didn't help any more than tylenol. I was told there would not be much pain, now my doc says there's more pain sometimes with the scleral buckle. Is there anything else I can do to relieve the pain? How long does it usually last?

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

You had bit time eye surgery and a certain percentage of patients do experience pain severe enough to require prescription pain medications. The healing of this type of surgery is slow and the final results may not be obtained for 6-12 months. If tylenol or the vicodin isn't helping contact your ophthamologist eye surgeon and ask for a different medication. Discuss your concerns at your next visit. If the pain worsens call and ask to be seen today as an emergency work-in.

JCH MD

[worriedeye0630]

I also had my vitrectomy with scleral buckle on 4 days ago.  My doctor cleared me for going back go work and went back to work yesterday.  Although I am not a condition to be working so I was pretty unproductive at work..

My left eye which I had surgery on looks very bad. It has lots of bloody gooey stuff covering almost half of the eye and constantly have to wipe of some
discharge.  I have no vision on the eyes other than distinguish lights. Its hard for me to keep my left eye opened more than a 30 seconds.  

Based on what I read on this bulltin board, the constant pressured pain is expected after surgery and I am prepairing for some loss of vision after recovery but should I look this bad after surgery and how long it would take to look like normal again?  when I can start re-gaining some vision again?

[circumspect]

Hello Worried Eye,  because there are so many different conditions that vitrectomies are done for, some with and some without retinal damage it's impossible to generalize about your recovery. That information will need to come from you retina surgeons. Most vitrectomies look pretty normal with clearing of the blood about 14 days post surgery.

JCH Eye MD