Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It?How It WorksPreparationRecovery
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is It?
How It Works
Preparation
Recovery
Pars plana vitrectomyis a type of eye surgery used to treat a variety of problems with theretinaor the vitreous. These problems can includediabetic retinopathyandretinal detachment. Other names for pars plana vitrectomy include PPV and vitrectomy.
This article will address what a pars plana vitrectomy is, its contraindications and risks, and what to expect from this type of surgery.
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What Is a Pars Plana Vitrectomy?
A pars plana vitrectomy can help improve vision. It is used for several eye conditions that affect the retina (the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye) or the vitreous (the gel-like fluid that fills the space between the lens and retina). These include:
An eye surgeon also may use a vitrectomy to place a device or a drug-delivery system in the eye.
How Does the Procedure Work?
A pars plana vitrectomy is usually performed in an outpatient surgical center and may take one to three hours. Depending on the reason for surgery, it can be scheduled or it can be used to treat an emergency eye problem. Both adults and children can have a vitrectomy.
Surgeons will perform a vitrectomy on one eye at a time. If both eyes need a vitrectomy, a separate procedure will be scheduled for the second eye at a later date.
You will receive numbing eye drops during a pars plana vitrectomy. Most people receive intravenous (IV) sedation. This will help you to relax during the procedure while also staying awake.Sometimes,general anesthesiais used, which will put you in a sleeplike state.
Two Types of Pars Plana VitrectomyA vitrectomy can be:Posterior: In the posterior ( (back) segment of the eyeAnterior: In the anterior (front) of the eyeA retina specialist will perform a posterior pars plana vitrectomy.This medical professional is a type ofophthalmologist(eye doctor) who specializes in surgeries in the back of the eye, including the retina. Anterior vitrectomy is less common. Most ophthalmologists are trained to perform an anterior vitrectomy.
Two Types of Pars Plana Vitrectomy
A vitrectomy can be:Posterior: In the posterior ( (back) segment of the eyeAnterior: In the anterior (front) of the eyeA retina specialist will perform a posterior pars plana vitrectomy.This medical professional is a type ofophthalmologist(eye doctor) who specializes in surgeries in the back of the eye, including the retina. Anterior vitrectomy is less common. Most ophthalmologists are trained to perform an anterior vitrectomy.
A vitrectomy can be:
A retina specialist will perform a posterior pars plana vitrectomy.This medical professional is a type ofophthalmologist(eye doctor) who specializes in surgeries in the back of the eye, including the retina. Anterior vitrectomy is less common. Most ophthalmologists are trained to perform an anterior vitrectomy.
To perform a vitrectomy, the surgeon will make small cuts into yoursclera, which is the white part of your eye. The surgeon often will enter the eye through an area called the pars plana, which is why this procedure is called pars plana vitrectomy.A special microscope will give the surgeon a more detailed view of the eye to assist with surgery.
Depending on the reason for the surgery, the surgeon might:
The surgical staff will monitor you after surgery, after which you can return home.
Contraindications
Most patients can have a pars plana vitrectomy if needed. The one exception to this appears to be if there is atumor in the eye. This is considered a contraindication (advised against) because of concern that the tumor may spread during surgery. However, there are some situations in which a surgeon may recommend a pars plana vitrectomy because of the threat of vision loss even if the patient has a tumor in the eye.
Potential Risks
A vitrectomy has certain risks associated with it, including:
Your surgeon will weigh those risks against the benefits of a pars plana vitrectomy. They may determine that the risks are worth it because the surgery often will make your vision better.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for surgery beforehand and the day of.
How to Prepare
Before surgery, your surgeon will closely examine your eye using certain tests, including:
If the surgery also will include the front part of the eye, even more tests will be performed.
What to Expect on the Day of Surgery
Prior to surgery, you will change your clothes, lie down, and let the surgical team place a variety of monitors on you. These will includeIV therapy,electrocardiogram(EKG, to record electrical signals from the heart), and oxygen monitors to provide medicine and to monitor your vital signs.
You will most likely receive a minimal amount of sedation for a pars plana vitrectomy, unless you are particularly anxious or unstable. In these cases—and with children—the surgical team will use general anesthesia.
Immediately After Surgery
You also will receive other medications to help prevent infection and to make the surgery painless.
After surgery, your surgeon will patch and shield the eye to keep it safe from injury.
If you received a gas bubble or silicone oil, you will be instructed on any special positioning you must maintain and for how long.
Do Not DriveYou will need someone to drive you home after surgery. It will be difficult to monitor public transportation, so consider asking a loved one to pick you up or organizing a ride share ahead of time.
Do Not Drive
You will need someone to drive you home after surgery. It will be difficult to monitor public transportation, so consider asking a loved one to pick you up or organizing a ride share ahead of time.
You can expect to return to your surgeon’s office the day after surgery. You should arrange for a ride there.
During that visit, you will receive instructions on how to use certain medications and your eye patch. You will also be told when it is safe to drive again, which is typically a couple of days to a couple of weeks after surgery.Your eye doctor also may advise you to avoid strenuous exercise until the eye heals.
Generally speaking, it takes two to four weeks to recover from a vitrectomy, although getting your vision back to normal may take slightly longer.
Some normal aftereffects in the eye include:
Aftercare for a Gas Bubble
If you had a gas bubble inserted in the eye, you will have to avoid certain activities for a couple of weeks, including:
These activities could enlarge the size of the bubble.You also will need to hold your head in a certain position for one to three weeks after surgery to help the bubble maintain its position. The surgical team will further instruct you on how to do this.
Aftercare for Silicone Oil
If the surgeon used silicone oil in the eye, you will need to schedule a second procedure for a couple of months later to remove it.
Summary
Pars plana vitrectomy, or vitrectomy, is a type of surgery performed to treat a variety of problems and conditions in the back of the eye, including a detached retina or a macular hole. The surgery is usually performed in an outpatient center. Most people can safely have a vitrectomy. Some risks associated with vitrectomy include bleeding and the formation of a cataract.
A Word From Verywell
If your eye doctor recommends that you have a pars plana vitrectomy, it is usually to keep you from losing a significant amount of vision. This is a scary possibility, but keep in mind that this procedure can greatly improve your chances of retaining vision and that complications are rare.
Ask any questions that you have about what to expect from the surgery and how you can take care of your eyes before, during, and after the procedure.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Spring MJ.Pars plana vitrectomy. American Academy of Ophthalmology.American Society of Retina Specialists.Vitrectomy.Boyd K.What is vitrectomy?. American Academy of Ophthalmology.Omari A, Mahmoud TH.Vitrectomy. StatPearls.My Health Alberta.Vitrectomy: What to expect at home.Stein JD, Zacks DN, Grossman D, Grabe H, Johnson MW, Sloan FA.Adverse events after pars plana vitrectomy among medicare beneficiaries. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 Dec;127(12):1656-63. doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.300
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Spring MJ.Pars plana vitrectomy. American Academy of Ophthalmology.American Society of Retina Specialists.Vitrectomy.Boyd K.What is vitrectomy?. American Academy of Ophthalmology.Omari A, Mahmoud TH.Vitrectomy. StatPearls.My Health Alberta.Vitrectomy: What to expect at home.Stein JD, Zacks DN, Grossman D, Grabe H, Johnson MW, Sloan FA.Adverse events after pars plana vitrectomy among medicare beneficiaries. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 Dec;127(12):1656-63. doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.300
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Spring MJ.Pars plana vitrectomy. American Academy of Ophthalmology.American Society of Retina Specialists.Vitrectomy.Boyd K.What is vitrectomy?. American Academy of Ophthalmology.Omari A, Mahmoud TH.Vitrectomy. StatPearls.My Health Alberta.Vitrectomy: What to expect at home.Stein JD, Zacks DN, Grossman D, Grabe H, Johnson MW, Sloan FA.Adverse events after pars plana vitrectomy among medicare beneficiaries. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 Dec;127(12):1656-63. doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.300
Spring MJ.Pars plana vitrectomy. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
American Society of Retina Specialists.Vitrectomy.
Boyd K.What is vitrectomy?. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Omari A, Mahmoud TH.Vitrectomy. StatPearls.
My Health Alberta.Vitrectomy: What to expect at home.
Stein JD, Zacks DN, Grossman D, Grabe H, Johnson MW, Sloan FA.Adverse events after pars plana vitrectomy among medicare beneficiaries. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 Dec;127(12):1656-63. doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.300
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