#Hole in eye retina surgery Patch

Whether you are required to posture, and for how long, will depend on the size of the macular hole, and also the preferences of your surgeon. The aim of face down posturing is to keep the gas bubble in contact with the hole as much as possible to encourage it to close. Do I have to posture face down after the operation? Most patients opt for a local anaesthetic, which involves a numbing injection around the eye so that no pain is felt during the operation this is sometimes supplemented with medication to reduce anxiety (sedation). Macular hole surgery usually takes 45-90 minutes and can be done with the patient awake (local anaesthetic), or asleep (general anaesthetic), often as a day case procedure. How long does the operation take and do I need to have a general anaesthetic? The bubble of gas blocks the vision whilst it is present, but slowly disappears over a period of about 8 weeks. The eye is then filled with a temporary gas bubble, which presses against the hole to help it seal. Firstly the vitreous jelly is removed (vitrectomy), and then a very delicate layer (the inner limiting membrane) is carefully peeled off the surface of the retina around the hole to release the traction forces that keep the hole open.

Macular hole surgery is a form of keyhole surgery performed under a microscope, using 3 small incisions (1-2 mm in size) in the white of the eye for insertion of very fine instruments. Studies have shown, however, that vision improvement may be possible in some patients with long-standing macular holes. There is evidence that relatively early treatment (within months) gives a better outcome in terms of improvement in vision. Does it matter how long I have had the macular hole if I am interested in having the surgery done? It is important to understand that return to completely normal vision is not possible. In a minority of patients the hole does not close despite surgery and the central vision can continue to deteriorate however, a second operation can still be successful in closing the hole. Even if this degree of improvement does not occur, the vision is at least stabilized and many patients find that they have less distortion. Of these, more than 70% will be able to see two or three lines more down a standard vision chart, compared to before the operation. If the hole has been present for less than a year, the operation will be successful in closing the hole in about 90% of cases. What is the treatment & how successful is it?Ī macular hole can often be repaired by an operation called a Vitrectomy, peel and gas. It is very important to monitor for any changes in vision of the fellow eye, and report these to your eye specialist/family doctor/optician urgently. Your surgeon will tell you your risk but this may be from extremely unlikely to a 1 in 10 chance. The condition does not affect the peripheral vision, and so patients will not go completely blind from this condition Can I develop a macular hole in my other eye?Ĭareful examination can assess the risk of developing a macular hole in the other eye.

In the majority of patients the central vision will gradually get worse to a level where the patient is unable to read even the largest print on an eye test chart. If untreated, there is a small chance that some macular holes can close spontaneously, with improvement in vision. What would happen if I did not have my macular hole treated? Other causes of macular holes include severe trauma to the eye, being very short sighted (myopic), those who have had a retinal detachment or as a result of longstanding swelling of the central retina (cystoid macular oedema). We are increasingly aware that it is mainly slightly long sighted people who are affected. They most often occur in people aged 60-80, and is twice as common in women as men. We do not know why macular holes develop. They can sometimes both be present in the same eye. No, macular holes and macular degeneration are different conditions although they affect the same area of the eye. Is a macular hole the same as age-related macular degeneration?

#Hole in eye retina surgery Patch

There may also be a patch of missing vision at the centre. This causes blurred vision and often distorted vision where straight lines or letters look wavy or bowed. A macular hole is a small, circular gap which opens up at the centre of the retina.