Surgery Overview
Pneumatic retinopexy is a surgery to repair certain types of
retinal detachments. It is usually an
outpatient procedure, which means you don't need to stay in the hospital.
Before surgery, your eye is numbed with
local anesthesia. Then the eye doctor (ophthalmologist) injects a gas bubble
into the middle of the eye. Your head is positioned so that the bubble
floats to the detached area and presses against the detachment.
The eye doctor then seals the tear in the
retina using a freezing probe or laser
beam.
The bubble helps to flatten the
retina until a seal forms between the retina and the wall of the eye. This takes about 1 to 3 weeks. The eye
slowly absorbs the gas bubble.
What To Expect After Surgery
It takes about 3 weeks to recover from this surgery. The hardest part of the recovery is keeping the gas
bubble in the right place.
- You must keep your head in a certain
position for most of the day and night for about 1 to 3 weeks after the
surgery.
- You cannot lie on your back. If you do, the bubble will move to the
front of the eye and press against the
lens instead of the retina.
- You must avoid air travel until your eye
has healed. A change in altitude could cause the gas bubble to expand. This would increase
the pressure inside the eye.
Contact your doctor right away if you notice any problems after surgery, such as:
- Decreasing vision.
- Signs of infection. These include increasing
pain, redness, or swelling around the eye.
- Any discharge from the eye.
- Any new
floaters,
flashes of light, or other changes in your field of vision.
Why It Is Done
Pneumatic
retinopexy is done for certain types of
retinal detachments. It can be useful when:
- A single break or tear caused the
detachment.
- Multiple breaks are small and close to each
other.
- The break is in the upper part of the retina. You have to hold your head
so that the break and the bubble are at the highest point. This is not practical if the break is on
the bottom of the eyeball. You would have to keep your head upside down.
How Well It Works
This surgery can repair the retina most of the time.
You are more likely to have good vision after surgery if the
macula was still attached before surgery. Good vision is less likely if the
detachment affected the macula.
Risks
The most common problems after this surgery include:
- Scarring on the retina. This often causes the retina to detach again. Scarring is
the most common reason that surgery fails.
- New
breaks or tears forming.
- The need for more surgery to reattach the
retina.
- Fluid that stays under the retina or is absorbed very slowly.
- Small gas bubbles getting trapped under the
retina.
Less common problems
include:
What To Think About
For this surgery to work, the gas bubble has to press against the retina until it
flattens. This means you will need to hold your head in the proper
position for long periods of time. This surgery may not be an option if for any reason you are not able to stay in the right
position for the time required.
There are a
few ways to repair a retinal detachment. Which surgery will work best depends on the cause, location, and
type of detachment. Other
conditions or eye problems may also play a role in the
decision.
You may
need more surgery to reattach the retina if scar tissue from the first surgery grows over the surface of your retina.
Complete the surgery information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerAdam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerCarol L. Karp, MD - Ophthalmology
Current as ofMarch 3, 2017