Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

Treatment of PVR usually requires surgery. There are different surgical treatment options, and your ophthalmologist will discuss the pros and cons of these options with you, and recommend a suitable treatment plan.

The main surgical treatment options are:

• Scleral buckling. Your ophthalmologist may choose to place a scleral buckle which is a silicone band that encircles the eye like a belt. The scleral buckle acts externally to reattach the retina.
  
  
• Vitrectomy. A vitrectomy is a form of "keyhole" surgery that uses small instruments to enter the eye to remove the vitreous gel in the eye. This allows the surgeon to peel off the PVR scar tissue, and reattach the retina internally. The eye will usually be filled with a gas bubble or silicone oil at the end of surgery, to help with holding the retina in place, and keeping it attached. Following surgery, your doctor may instruct you to maintain a specific head position (usually face-down) for up to two weeks after surgery, and if a gas bubble was injected, you would also need to avoid air travel until the gas bubble dissolves.
  

The success of improving vision after surgery for PVR varies from person to person and ranges from 60% to 80%. Some eyes with severe PVR may have very little chance of improving vision. In such cases, surgery may not be recommended.