Surgery for retinal detachment
Vitrectomy for retinal detachment
Vitrectomy for retinal detachment
Il retinal detachment it is an extremely dangerous event for eye health and vision. Should it occur, retinal detachment must be treated as a real emergency and requires prompt intervention.
there predisposing factors e risk factors for retinal detachment, moreover, this event is not infrequently preceded by warning symptoms. careful monitoring of the retina, always recommended after 45-50 years of age and in the presence of predisposing and risk factors, it allows to evaluate or identify the danger of a retinal detachment and to implement procedures aimed at preventing this eventuality.
Knowledge of the warning symptoms can also be valuable to be able to recognize the problem immediately and intervene earlier, and therefore more effectively, in case of retinal detachment.
La early intervention it is essential, with the same surgical technique used and skill of the surgeon, for the therapeutic success of the treatment. This is due to the fact that when the retina detaches from the fundus, i photoreceptors (cones and rods) lose contact with the blood vessels of the choroid and are deprived ofoxygen and nourishment That they need. In this situation, as time passes, more and more photoreceptors are encountering cell death, determining a irreversible loss of vision which is the more serious the longer the time elapsed between the detachment and the treatment.
Depending on position and entity detachment of the retina, we intervene with different surgical techniques. If the detachment is peripheral and not excessively large, surgery can be performed with a cerclage and sealing; if, on the other hand, the detachment is very extensive, the surgical intervention of choice is the vitrectomy.
Vitrectomy consists ofexcision of the body vitreous from the intravitreal cavity and theinsertion of air, gas or oil to help the retina attach itself back to the back of the eye and heal. Vitrectomy can be combined with other types of eye surgery, such ascataract surgery or laser treatment. Vitrectomy is a rather demanding surgery and is performed in the operating room; depending on the case may have one lasting even several hours and present a post-operative not without discomfort.
Postoperative
“Il postoperative vitrectomy surgery is demanding for the operated patient and represents an important phase for the therapeutic success of the surgery.
If the vitreous body has been replaced by a expandable gas, for the entire period in which the gas remains inside the eye (usually 3-4 days) the head must be kept in one face-down position. The scrupulous maintenance of this position is of fundamental importance for the success of the intervention, since in this way the gas exerts a pressure on the retina that allows it to maintain its physiological position, facilitating its healing.
In addition to maintaining the required position of the head, the patient must use antibiotic eye drops e antiinflammatory and, in case of pain, drugs painkillers.
For the entire period in which the gas remains inside the eye it must also avoid traveling by plane and in the mountains, as the altitude may cause sudden and dangerous changes in intraocular pressure. For the same reason they must also be avoided sudden efforts and head movements.
The perception of flashes of light and moving bodies it can continue for a long time after vitrectomy and usually, where possible, improvement in vision is noticeable only after a few weeks.
