What Happens During Surgery?
The surgeon will insert a light probe, a cutter and an infusion tube into the eye’s interior through tiny incisions in the sclera, or white of the eye. Guided by a light from the probe, the surgeon will remove scar tissue or opaque areas of the vitreous with the cutter, while the infusion tube replaces the volume of removed tissue with a balanced salt solution to maintain the normal pressure and shape of the eye.
After completing the vitrectomy, the surgeon also may perform a scleral buckling procedure and fill the inside of the eye with air, gas or silicone oil to help seal the retina against the wall of the eye. Most vitrectomy procedures are done under local anesthesia.