Silicone oil is used for recurrent retinal detachments or complicated retinal detachments including PVR (proliferative vitreoretinopathy). It can be a valuable tool to prevent blindness. Most retinal detachments are caused by a retinal tear, or hole, in the retina. In either case, this allows for communication between the vitreous cavity and the potential space underneath the retina. … [Read more...]
Retinal Tears and Vitreous Hemorrhage
December 14, 2011 By 8 Comments
A vitreous hemorrhage may be caused by a retinal tear. Sometimes there is so much blood in the eye that direct examination is impossible and we can only guess at the most likely cause. It is the most difficult situation for me to handle as a doctor. Patients lose significant vision as the blood in the middle of the eye physically blocks all light from hitting the retina. While this is … [Read more...]
Floater Only Vitrectomy: No Different than Cataract Surgery
September 29, 2011 By 40 Comments
Vitrectomy eye surgery can remove floaters. So-called "floater only vitrectomy," or "FOV" is a comparatively simple procedure compared to other operations a retinal surgeon can perform. Floaters Can Reduce Vision While these are common, most people are able to tolerate them over time. There are, however, patients that have floaters so large and dense that the vision is reduced. (Remember, … [Read more...]
Vitrectomy Eye Surgery for Macular Pucker
July 12, 2011 By 25 Comments
This is my first patient education video. I uploaded this last evening to YouTube. It is one of the best I've seen for a super niche like eye surgery. Vitrectomy Surgery As I state in the video, vitrectomy surgery is performed by retina specialists. I completed extra training to specialize and to perform retinal surgery. A vitrectomy is the core operation for many of the surgical … [Read more...]
Vitreous Hemorrhage and Diabetes
May 10, 2010 By 9 Comments
A vitreous hemorrhage can result in sudden, painless loss of vision. In patients with diabetes, the cause may be due to either a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Remember, the proliferative phase of the diabetic retinopathy means that there are areas of neovascularization (abnormal blood vessel proliferation) on the surface of the retina. In … [Read more...]
Optometry Student’s First Retinal Surgery
April 21, 2010 By 2 Comments
Optometry students frequently rotate through our office. One of our visiting students had the chance to watch me in the operating room. I asked her to write about the experience... Hello, My name is Maggie, and I’m a fourth year student at the SUNY College of Optometry in NYC. I had the opportunity to observe retinal surgeries with Dr Wong in the OR, and it was an amazing … [Read more...]
Gas Injection for Retinal Detachments
April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Injecting gas into the eye, called pneumatic retinopexy, is the fourth way to fix retinal detachments. Other methods include Scleral Buckle Vitrectomy Eye Surgery Combination of Scleral Buckle and Vitrectomy Gas Injection This procedure is performed in the office. Similar to other intraocular injections, except gas is introduced into the eye instead of anti-VEGF medications or … [Read more...]
Vitrectomy Surgery for Retinal Detachments
April 16, 2010 By 11 Comments
Vitrectomy eye surgery for repair of a retinal detachment can be an alternative or adjunct to scleral buckle. Vitrectomy surgery involves the removal of the vitreous from the eye. This procedure was introduced (i.e. invented) in the mid-1970's and enhanced our ability to treat retinal detachments. Retinal Tears Cause Retinal Detachments Remember that the culprit in "rhegmatogenous" retinal … [Read more...]
Sometimes You Just Need a Vitrectomy
December 10, 2009 By 16 Comments
A vitrectomy is an eye operation. It is performed by retina specialists for a variety of reasons. In patients with diabetic retinopathy, a vitrectomy may be useful to remove blood in the vitreous, aka a vitreous hemorrhage. There is no reason, to perform a vitrectomy in cases of macular degeneration. In cases of vitreous hemorrhage, bleeding has and blood remains suspended in the … [Read more...]
