Vitrectomy surgery to remove eye floater

Hello

Recently I have been to two opthamologists, one being a retinal
vitreous surgeon, and both have recommended having a vitrectomy
performed in my right eye to remove large floaters that appeared about
a year ago. I've been told that I have a complete Posterior Vitreous
Detachment and my risk of retinal detachment is low with this
procedure.

I would like to hear from others who have had a vetrectomy and
understand their experiences with it, and would you have it done again
knowning what you know now.

Also, if there are retinal surgeons reading this, is there a difference
in the vitrectomy procedure for removal of floaters versus the
procedure for other serious eye conditions?

Thanks

Dale

 

Hi Bill

The floaters are pretty huge in that they extend from the top to the
bottom of my sight in the right eye, are thick enough to distort the
light coming into the eye (like watching a wave cross before me, and
stay in my line of sight about 95% of the time. I've had them for about
a year and they have not dimenished. I went to see a doctor who does
laser treatment of floaters, and he tells me that mine are the type
that can't be treated by laser, but did recommend the vitrectomy. When
I asked him what the chances would be that they would eventually fade
away, his response was "0%"!.

A surgeon, who normally does not recommend the procedure, agreed to do
it in my case because of the size and position of the floaters.

Having a vitrectomy was certainly not my first choice, but 2 doctors
have told me it is the only way to rid myself of these floaters. They
do impair my ability to read, do things that are close up, and are
always there when I am looking through a telescope.


Dale

 

I had an emergency vitrectomy in 2001 to repair a retinal detachment. Until
that moment I didn't even know the operation existed so the procedure
sounded intimidating. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience as they
kept me awake and I could follow the discussion. In the process they
drained the eye (my term and probably not theirs) and it slowly refilled
over a period of six weeks. At the end of the that time the eye was not
only functional again, but free of floaters. Vision ended up at at better
than 20/30 after about a year. I would do it again but having no real
choice the first time made that initial decision easier.

 

I had a vitrectomy to remove a macular pucker last January. I was
awake and unsedated during the surgery, but experienced no pain with
the local anesthesia. The procedure took less than an hour. That
afternoon I walked over to the local multiplex and stayed for two
movies. (The operated eye was patched, but I could see fine with my
other eye.) Since the surgery, my vision has gone from about 20/50
(with pucker) to 20/15.

My vitrectomy was done in a teaching hospital using 20-gauge
instruments, which require suturing. (The newer 25-gauge vitrectomy
instruments require no sutures and are associated with a much faster
recovery.) Unfortunately, my surgeon allowed a resident to suture my
eye. About two weeks post-op, I developed a swollen red mound on my
eye white (reportedly related to the placement of sutures.) Over the
next few weeks, sharp ends of sutures poked through the inflamed mound
to scratch my upper eyelid and make me feel like a torture victim.
After about three months of steroid drops, the inflammation on my eye
white still hasn't entirely resolved.

I've been told that I will develop a cataract in the operated eye
within two years. I fully intend to seek out a cataract surgeon (in
private practice) who uses a "no stitch" technique.

 

I had a vitrectomy to remove a macular pucker last January. I was
awake and unsedated during the surgery, but experienced no pain with
the local anesthesia. The procedure took less than an hour. That
afternoon I walked over to the local multiplex and stayed for two
movies. (The operated eye was patched, but I could see fine with my
other eye.) Since the surgery, my vision has gone from about 20/50
(with pucker) to 20/15.

My vitrectomy was done in a teaching hospital using 20-gauge
instruments, which require suturing. (The newer 25-gauge vitrectomy
instruments require no sutures and are associated with a much faster
recovery.) Unfortunately, my surgeon allowed a resident to suture my
eye. About two weeks post-op, I developed a swollen red mound on my
eye white (reportedly related to the placement of sutures.) Over the
next few weeks, sharp ends of sutures poked through the inflamed mound
to scratch my upper eyelid and make me feel like a torture victim.
After about three months of steroid drops, the inflammation on my eye
white still hasn't entirely resolved.

I've been told that I will develop a cataract in the operated eye
within two years. I fully intend to seek out a cataract surgeon (in
private practice) who uses a "no stitch" technique.

 

You will eventually get a cataract, but cataract surgery is relatively
safe. It is possible that you will get a retinal detachment from the
vitrectomy but that risk is relatively low, as is the risk of glaucoma,
infection, vision loss, etc. As another said this is a big procedure
to rid oneself of a floater but if the floater is
annoying enough then go with the vitrectomy.

He might tell you that you cannot fly for a period of time after the
procedure. Plan accordingly.

The sutures used in cataract surgery are much smaller than those used
to close the sclerostomy. If placed correctly (that is the surgeon was
not trying to get away without sutures but found he needed one and then
added one) it will not need to be removed, you will never know it is
there, and will eventually disappear in about 1 1/2 years.

Ted.

 

Thanks Jane and Ted,

It helps to be armed with more info. I was planning to take a couple of
weeks off work around the time the surgery would be performed. I
wondered about the flying, since I do have a trip planned right after
that two week period. I'll be sure to ask my surgeon the details when I
go back this week.

Thanks again!

Dale

 

Hi Orv,

Thanks for sharing your experience. You stated that your vision was
better than 20/30 after about a year. What was your vision before the
procedure? Did develop a cataract later?

Again thanks,

Dale

 

Dale,

There is laser surgery available for floaters. I highly recommend
you research this approach before you have someone split your eye open.


Michael Weldon
Thailand

 

Dale, how bad is your eye site with the floaters? About a week ago, I
experienced a retinal tear. My eye site was 20/400. The surgeon
zapped the tear with a laser and injected a gas bubble in my eye. My
eye site improved in 3 days to 20/60, but things are still foggy and I
see floaters.

I'm concerned I'll need a vitrectomy also, but I don't have anything to
gauge against. The surgeon is very optimistic and not concerned.

Thanks,
NEPA John

 

Three days is too soon to tell. You can't see with a bubble, although
depending on what they put in, they last different periods of time. My
first was five days, and my second was about ten. Your retina was
damaged, and needs to heal. If your doctor thinks it's OK, maybe it is.
Maybe it isn't.

 

Michael,

I had already tried the laser treatment approach before I decided upon
the vitrectomy. The laser surgeon told me that he could not treat the
type of floater I had in my right eye because it was too close to the
lens. He was the one who recommended the vitrectomy.

Thanks!

Dale

 

John,

My floater was pretty bad. It was thick and curved like a snake and
extended from the top of my vision to the bottom. Whenever I moved my
eye, it would swing back and forth like a windshield wiper.

The vitreous surgeon told me that it was an unusually large floater and
he felt there was justification in performing the vitrectomy to remove
it.

On 6/1 I went into surgery. Actually the procedure went more smoothly
than I imagined. I had no pain afterward. I wore a bandage patch for
the first day after surgery, and the doctor removed it during the
second day post op examination. Before the surgery I had 20/15 in the
eye, and after surgery I had 20/30. I thought that was pretty good for
24 hours after the procedure.

Right now it is two days after surgery. I see the gas bubble at the
bottom of my vision, and my vision is a bit "foggy", like being in a
steam room or smoke filled room. The surgeon told me that the bubble
would go away in about a week. He didn't menition the fogginess though.
I hope that is normal too.

I'd give yours some time yet before going into vitrectomy surgery. The
floaters, if not too large, may appear to go away over time.

Dale