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If your symptoms are worsening quickly, you are advised to call the clinic directly to arrange an urgent consultation.
Retinal Re-attachment Surgeries
Scleral buckle surgery or Vitrectomy are procedures performed by a Vitreo-retinal surgeon to repair retinal detachments.
Vitrectomy
Very tiny incisions 0.5mm or less in size are made in the sclera (the white of the eye) so that microsurgical instruments can be inserted into the eye to remove vitreous gel, deliver laser treatments, or reattach the retina.
The eye will then be filled with synthetic gas or medical-grade silicone oil at the end of surgery to stabilize the retina. Gases will gradually be replaced by fluid produced naturally by the eye over a few weeks to 2 months but silicone oil will need to be removed a few months later.
Microsurgical instruments are inserted into the eye through very small incisions which may require no stitching after surgery. The sutureless vitrectomy technique leads to less discomfort after surgery and faster recovery.
Scleral Buckle
In a scleral buckle surgery, a silicone band is inserted under the muscles of the eye and secured with sutures onto the external surface of the eye (sclera). The scleral buckle is strategically stitched and tightened over the retinal tear to achieve retinal re-attachment from the outside of the eye. Laser or freezing (cryotherapy) therapy is usually added to seal the edges of the tear.
A silicone band is secured to the external wall of the eye to repair a retinal detachment.
Why Choose Dr. Nikolle Tan as Your Vitreo-Retinal Specialist?
- She is an eye surgeon and Vitreo-Retina specialist who has been specially trained to treat serious retinal disorders like retinal detachments.
- Expertise in the different methods of repairing retinal detachments.
- Extensive experience treating complex retinal detachments.
- High success rates.
She is highly sought after for treatment of these potentially blinding eye diseases.
FAQs
Scleral buckle and vitrectomy surgery are done in the “back” of the eye and are generally considered bigger operations than surgeries for the “front” of the eye like cataract operations.
However, these are usually still done as day surgery procedures in an operating theatre and can be done under local or general anesthesia. No overnight stay in a hospital is needed. Under local anesthesia, you will be awake but comfortably sedated whereas under general anesthesia, you will be completely unconscious.
Retinal detachments are medical emergencies and should be treated urgently. It is best to re-attach the retina before central vision is affected and certainly before it “hardens”.
Therefore, it is advisable to seek treatment when the “curtain” obstructing vision affects only peripheral vision. Once central vision is affected (a macula-off retinal detachment) or the detachment becomes chronic (PVR develops), success rates will drop significantly and the risk of visual impairment or blindness goes up significantly.
Recovery typically involves several weeks of reduced activity and postoperative eye drops to allow the eye to heal properly.
Some patients may be advised to “posture” in specific positions after surgery. This is particularly important as gas or silicone oil would have been injected in the eye at the end of their surgeries. Positioning as advised will increase the success rate of the surgery.
If there is gas in the eye, air travel is absolutely prohibited. This is because high altitude will cause the gas bubble to expand and eye pressure can become dangerously high, leading to irreversible blindness. Those who must travel by air soon after surgery should inform their surgeons so silicone oil can be used instead of gas.
Follow-up appointments are crucial to monitor eye pressure, the healing process, and to ensure the retina is securely attached.
For some patients, “posturing face down” after surgery will help the retina re-attach successfully.