Are my mother's visual symptoms after vitrectomy normal?
AUG 10, 2023
Question:
My 74-year-old mother had vitrectomy three weeks ago for a macular hole. The last few days in the lower half of her vision she’s been seeing a black circle that is blurry inside. The upper half of the vision is less blurry without the circle. Are these symptoms normal during recovery and only temporary? Or we need to contact the surgeon or retina specialist?
Answer:
Surgical repair of macular hole typically involves a gas bubble to press and seal the hole inside your eye. The gas bubble slowly diminishes in size as the eye’s natural fluid fills the eye and replaces it—a process that typically lasts 1 to 2 months. Vision is blurry while the gas bubble remains in the eye. As the gas clears, the vision starts to improve from the top of the visual field towards the bottom.
Air travel, scuba diving, and high altitudes are to be avoided when a gas bubble is in the eye. For any new or worsening vision changes following surgery, contact your surgeon.