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Is Surgery Advisable For Scar Tissues Behind The Eye?
Question: I went to ophthalmologist to have eyes checked.I was told I have scar tissue behind my left eye. Surgery is needed. what will they do in surgery to correct this ? I am 76yr old. Is this a needed surgery at my age?
Brief Answer:
Detalis below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Firstly thanks for choosing health care magic for your query!
The problem you are having is medically termed as Macular pucker.A macular pucker is scar tissue that has formed on the eye’s macula, located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina. The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. A macular pucker can cause blurred and distorted central vision.
Most of the eye’s interior is filled with vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the eye and helps it maintain a round shape. As we age, the vitreous slowly shrinks and pulls away from the retina’s surface. This is called a vitreous detachment, and is normal. In most cases, there are no adverse effects, except for a small increase in floaters, which are little “cobwebs” or specks that seem to float about in your field of vision.
A macular puckermostly requires no treatment. In many cases, the symptoms of vision distortion and blurriness are mild, and no treatment is necessary.So the option to go for surgery depends on the severity of symptoms you are experiencing.However if the problem disturbs the daily routine surgery called vitrectomy should be done,in which the retinal surgeon removes the vitreous gel to prevent it from pulling on the retina and replaces it with a salt solution (because the vitreous is mostly water, you will notice no change between the salt solution and the normal vitreous). The surgeon also removes the scar tissue causing the wrinkling. A vitrectomy usually requires local anesthesia.Most important risk factor of vitrectomy is the formation of cataract in the eye.In most of the cases cataract surgery may be required few years after vitrectomy even retinal detachment is a rare complication of vitrectomy.
Whether this is needed in your case depends on the intensity of symptoms you are having.If its not interfering in your routine life at a age of 76 i would reccomend you not to go un neccesarily for surgery.
Detalis below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Firstly thanks for choosing health care magic for your query!
The problem you are having is medically termed as Macular pucker.A macular pucker is scar tissue that has formed on the eye’s macula, located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina. The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. A macular pucker can cause blurred and distorted central vision.
Most of the eye’s interior is filled with vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the eye and helps it maintain a round shape. As we age, the vitreous slowly shrinks and pulls away from the retina’s surface. This is called a vitreous detachment, and is normal. In most cases, there are no adverse effects, except for a small increase in floaters, which are little “cobwebs” or specks that seem to float about in your field of vision.
A macular puckermostly requires no treatment. In many cases, the symptoms of vision distortion and blurriness are mild, and no treatment is necessary.So the option to go for surgery depends on the severity of symptoms you are experiencing.However if the problem disturbs the daily routine surgery called vitrectomy should be done,in which the retinal surgeon removes the vitreous gel to prevent it from pulling on the retina and replaces it with a salt solution (because the vitreous is mostly water, you will notice no change between the salt solution and the normal vitreous). The surgeon also removes the scar tissue causing the wrinkling. A vitrectomy usually requires local anesthesia.Most important risk factor of vitrectomy is the formation of cataract in the eye.In most of the cases cataract surgery may be required few years after vitrectomy even retinal detachment is a rare complication of vitrectomy.
Whether this is needed in your case depends on the intensity of symptoms you are having.If its not interfering in your routine life at a age of 76 i would reccomend you not to go un neccesarily for surgery.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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