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When you have diabetes, your body does not use
or store sugar properly.
This can cause changes in the vessels
that carry blood throughout your body,
including your eyes.
These blood vessel changes can damage your eye's retina,
harming your vision.
This eye disease is called diabetic retinopathy.
Your ophthalmologist has chosen to treat
your diabetic eye disease with vitrectomy surgery
to help improve your vision.
To understand how diabetic eye disease
affects your vision, let's take a look
at how the eye works.
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Light rays enter the eye through the cornea,
pupil, and lens.
These light rays are focused on the retina,
the light sensitive tissue lying in the back of the eye.
The retina has two areas, the peripheral retina,
which gives us our side or wide angle vision,
and the macula, the small area at the center of the retina.
The macula gives us our pinpoint vision,
allowing us to see detail clearly.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy,
or PDR, is a stage of diabetic eye disease
where abnormal blood vessels begin to grow
on the surface of the retina.
This is called neovascularization.
With PDR, many blood vessels in the retina close off,
keeping blood from flowing properly to the retina.
The retina responds to this problem
by trying to grow new blood vessels.
However, these new, abnormal vessels
do not provide proper blood flow.
They can also bleed as well as lead to scar tissue,
which may cause the retina to wrinkle
or even detach from the back of the eye.
Your ophthalmologist has recommended a vitrectomy
because there is retinal scarring
or detachment in your eye,
or there may be bleeding in the vitreous of your eye.
It is usually done in an operating room
as an outpatient procedure.
During vitrectomy surgery,
your ophthalmologist will use an operating microscope
and small surgical instruments to remove the vitreous gel
and blood from the back of your eye.
This allows light rays to focus properly
on the retina again.
Scar tissue might be removed from the retinal surface
so that the retina can return to its normal location.
Laser treatment also may be used
to prevent abnormal blood vessels
from growing on the retina.
To help your retina heal in place,
your ophthalmologist may place a gas or oil bubble
in the vitreous space.
You may be told to keep your head
in certain positions
while the bubble helps hold the retina in place.
It's important to follow
your ophthalmologist's instructions
so your eye will heal properly.
As with any procedure,
there are risks of side effects and complications
with vitrectomy surgery.
These may include bleeding,
eye infection, retinal detachment,
which is when the retina pulls away
from the back of the eye,
new or recurring scar tissue inside the eye,
clouding or scarring of the cornea,
clouding of the lens of the eye,
or a cataract.
A droopy eyelid,
increased pressure in the eye called glaucoma,
vision loss,
and the possible need for more treatment,
including medication and surgery.
Also, your eye problem could remain
or get worse.
Other treatment options may be available
for your diabetic retinopathy.
Depending on what your ophthalmologist sees
in your eye,
these options could include medication injection
or other surgery.
Your ophthalmologist can explain
why he or she chose vitrectomy surgery
for your particular course of treatment.
You do not have to be treated for your diabetic retinopathy.
However, if left untreated,
retinal bleeding, scarring,
or detachment can lead to vision loss
and maybe even loss of the eye.
The main goal of treating diabetic eye disease
is to prevent further loss of vision.
Treatment does not cure diabetic retinopathy,
but it is often effective in helping you keep your sight.
Be sure to keep all appointments
with your ophthalmologist after treatments.
Also, if you have any changes in your vision,
you should call your ophthalmologist right away.
Monitoring your vision is a vital step
toward the goal of preserving your sight.
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