Face-Down Healing in 2007 After Vitrectomy?

[Eagle]

Do they still do it this way? I know Hellas already asked, went through this decades ago.

I'd like to know exactly how many things you can do. No driving, right? So no grocery shopping? What else? I think I'd go crazy. This would be for retinopathy scarring.

Is there any alternative treatment? Does it maybe go away in time?

[Cher2005]

I had a victrectomy last year for retinal scarring. I did not have to recoup laying face down. I think that happens if you have a gas bubble with oil. I just had saline solution. After awhile it changes back to the vitreous as nature intended. It took awhile for the eye to return to normalut basically it wasn't bad, I'm very sensitive but I got through it okay. I felt worse a couple of days after surgery. It just took time because there is post op swelling and it needs to heal. It was my poor eye so better eye took over for me for vision. I pray I don't ever need it for my good eye. the one I depend on.
It's best to do it right away if you need it as left the scarring can pull the retina away and cause a detached retina. That is dangerous for your eye. Mine had partially detached and I could feel the pull.

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by Cher2005

I had a victrectomy last year for retinal scarring.

I did not have to recoup laying face down.I think that happens if you have a gas bubble with oil. I just had saline solution.

After awhile it changes back to the vitreous as nature intended. It took awhile for the eye to return to normalut basically it wasn't bad, I'm very sensitive but I got through it okay. I felt worse a couple of days after surgery. It just took time because there is post op swelling and it needs to heal. It was my poor eye so better eye took over for me for vision. I pray I don't ever need it for my good eye. the one I depend on.

It's best to do it right away if you need it as left the scarring can pull the retina away and cause a detached retina. That is dangerous for your eye. Mine had partially detached and I could feel the pull.

That's exactly what I needed to know, Cher, that the saline solution is what I'd want instead of gas. Thanks so much.

Do you have to shop around for someone who'll do it that way, hard to find?

I'm glad you warned about post-op swelling, too, and I know just how you feel about risking the one eye that you depend on most. I was very nervous about getting the second capsulotomy, on my better eye, in which vision is temporarily down a little, but thankfully I expected that, until the "donut hole" is disintegrated or however it goes away within 3 wks. And my worst eye improved to almost where my better one was so that will help.

I've been really worried about the vitrectomy for the scarring, and vitreous clumping up, she said. Finding out about the saline possibility is a great relief if I can find someone who does it and their own suturing. You probably remember Jodie's experience. Hope you don't mind that I put some extra spaces in the quote of your post because I want to keep a hard copy that's as easy to read as possible. It's the solution to my problem if I can just find someone who'll do the procedure that way. Oh, and did you have to spend time in a hospital???

[JodieJ]

Eagle,

I think that vitrectomies are almost always outpatient procedures. The face-down healing is usually only necessary for a retinal detachment--the gas bubble and special positioning are needed to hold the retina in place during the early stages of healing. I can't imagine that any surgeon would put someone through face-down healing unless it was necessary to keep the retina attached. I had to wear a protective patch for sleeping for a few days, but otherwise had few restrictions. I was able to drive the day after surgery with a contact lens in my good eye.

If possible, try to find a surgeon who uses the newer 25-gauge sutureless vitrectomy equipment (rather than the older 20-gauge stuff that requires sutures). Recovery is supposed to be SO much quicker and easier with the new sutureless equipment. (I actually still have some minor inflammation on my eye white from the suture reaction I had a year age!)

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by JodieJ

Eagle,

I think that vitrectomies are almost always outpatient procedures. The face-down healing is usually only necessary for a retinal detachment--the gas bubble and special positioning are needed to hold the retina in place during the early stages of healing. I can't imagine that any surgeon would put someone through face-down healing unless it was necessary to keep the retina attached. I had to wear a protective patch for sleeping for a few days, but otherwise had few restrictions. I was able to drive the day after surgery with a contact lens in my good eye.

If possible, try to find a surgeon who uses the newer 25-gauge sutureless vitrectomy equipment (rather than the older 20-gauge stuff that requires sutures). Recovery is supposed to be SO much quicker and easier with the new sutureless equipment. (I actually still have some minor inflammation on my eye white from the suture reaction I had a year age!)

Jodie, I remember your suture problem, and wonder if some of the odorless garlic pills (I get them at Kroger, green top and writing, 2000 mg.) would help get rid of the remaining inflammation? With most every infection, for years, I've had to finally resort to garlic pills when doctors feared causing a resistance to antibiotics after a couple of prescriptions, which maybe were not even the right ones. I'm not Catholic but I'll bet Pope John Paul's death from a urinary infection was like that and he had no garlic, I kid you not.

Thanks much for the info about sutureless equipment making healing easier.

I'll be sure to ask the retina specialist about that, and hope she does that. I've had 8 or 9 procedures and she's never goofed, very skilled, things I'm afraid I would never trust anyone else to do. They don't like us to get information from the internet but never have time or inclination to tell us all we need to know. I'm learning so much from other patients here.