Vitrectomy surgery removes some or all of the vitreous humour/gel (jelly like substance) from the back of the eye.

 

In some cases the back of the eye is refilled with fluid. A number of vitrectomy operations with air or gas exchange are also performed. The gas is injected into the posterior part of the eye. The gas will then help hold the retina in place.

 

The gas will reabsorb into the eye over a period of time (air approximately 1 week, gas may take up to 2 months). The eye itself will produce a clear aqueous fluid to replace the gas.

 

The gas will make the vision poor, however as the gas bubble becomes smaller, the patient will see it shrinking towards the bottom of the eye.

 

Finally the gas will break up into smaller bubbles; these may appear as black dots/spots in their vision. Eventually the gas will disappear completely. Avoid flying until the gas bubble has completely disappeared as the reduced atmospheric pressure can cause the gas to expand, increasing the pressure inside the eye to dangerous levels.