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Surgical services

Prior to surgical procedures a patient must undergo several required tests at the place of residence or in the laboratory, convenient for him. The list of tests may be obtained from the clinic administrator by land line.

Vitreoretinal surgery

At present vitreoretinal surgery is the most comprehensive and modern kind of surgical ophthalmologic treatment. It is applied for severe pathologies of the posterior part of the visual organ (vitreous body, retina). This surgical technology allows achieving partial or complete restoration of eyesight of patients, who were considered completely disabled and non-perspective in the issue of restoration even ten years ago.

The inner part of the human eyebulb is filled with transparent jelly-like substance - vitreous body. The vitreous body keeps the ball-like form of the eye, secures close attachment of all the inner layers of the eye and prevents disorder in the location of intraocular structures.

Some pathologies result in cloudy and damaged vitreous body and retina. The conductivity of light rays to the fundus of the eye is deteriorated; the vision is either considerably worse or lost completely.

The vitreoretinal method is aimed at complete substitution of the vitreous body with transparent inert substances; at fixing the damaged retina; at restoring anatomic integrity of the posterior part of the eye.

The surgery is ambulatory and takes from 30 minutes to 2–3 hours on average, as each clinical case is unique. Regardless of extensive volume of intervention the procedure is notable for its minimal invasion and the absence of any cosmetic defects in future.

Different surgical technologies are applied depending on a specific pathology. Single-step substitution of the natural lens with the artificial one occurs in some cases. As statistics demonstrate that in 80–90% of cases secondary lens-form opacity occurs in the course of two years after the surgery, it is often recommended to conduct simultaneous substitution of both the lens and the vitreous body to reduce traumatization of the eye in future. In other cases the surgery is performed in two stages: at first the vitreous body is substituted with some manipulations on the retina, and then, some time later, the lens is also substituted if required.

The content of the eye can be substituted either with the inert gas, dissolved with time and filled by the liquid of the eyebulb itself, or with silicone oil. Silicone oil is usually used in more severe clinical cases, for evident detachment and ruptures of retina. Some time later this oil should be removed from the eye.

Possible restoration of eyesight does not occur immediately after the surgical treatment. Depending on the substance introduced, the rehabilitation period takes from one month to six months.

Regardless of the complex method and the duration of the restoration period, at present vitreoretinal surgery is the only option for many patients to restore their vision.