Vitrectomy
What is the recovery after a vitrectomy?
Duration 1:50
Professor Andrew Luff is an Ophthalmic Surgeon and Founding Consultant at Sapphire Eye Care. He describes how long your recovery might take and what factors influence this time. He cautions that some activities may be difficult afterwards and that your surgeon will explain how you can help yourself recover at home.
Professor Andrew Luff is an Ophthalmic Surgeon and Founding Consultant at Sapphire Eye Care. He describes how long your recovery might take and what factors influence this time. He cautions that some activities may be difficult afterwards and that your surgeon will explain how you can help yourself recover at home.
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According to the type of operation we do, you may have some kind of bubble within the eye. We use air bubbles and we use bubbles of gas for a variety of reasons. Sometimes this is just to help the eye stay formed after surgery, sometimes it’s to help press the retina into the right position. So a bubble within your eye, which amazingly you can’t see through, can last anything between three or four days or up to seven weeks. We discuss with you what type of bubble we are likely to use so you can be ready for this. For a long-acting bubble, life can be difficult for the first couple of weeks; you simply can’t see through the gas, which means you’ve lost your field of vision. You probably wouldn’t be able to drive for a period of time; again, anything from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the type of bubble used. It’ll be quite clear with you and make sure you know what you can and can’t do. You’ll also go home with a gas bubble, with a little wristband, because it’s very important that any other doctor treating you knows that there’s gas in the eye. This is of paramount importance if you need another anaesthetic. So you must have a little yellow wristband and that must stay with you as long as that bubble is present.
