Vitreoretinal Surgery
Vitrectomy surgery is the process of removing the internal jelly of the eye - called vitreous - in order to access, repair, and treat the retina. While most retina practices are well-versed in vitrectomy surgery, our practice also provides the following additional specialized surgical treatments.
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You can see a full list of all surgeries we perform by clicking HERE.
Lens Dislocation Surgery
We provide secondary lens insertions in cases where a patient may have had a more complex cataract surgery than anticipated, and a lens was not able to be inserted by the operating cataract surgeon. In these procedures, the natural 'bag' that holds your lens may not be strong enough to support a conventional lens insertion - as determined by your cataract surgeon. As such, a 'new' bag needs to be created with the use of specialized, internal stitches, that will hold a lens in the right position.
We also perform this procedure in cases of dislocated lenses, which can occur years after cataract surgery, from age, trauma, floppy iris syndrome, or nearsightedness.
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Our secondary lens techniques includes AKREOS insertion, Yamane technique, and MX60 ENVISTA insertion. A successful secondary lens surgery will help restore vision and can even remove the need for corrective lenses afterwards, just like cataract surgery.
Scleral Buckling
Scleral bucking surgery - putting a 'belt buckle' around the outside of the eye - has become much less common over the last decade due to its finesse, complexity, and time requirement. Many training fellowships and institutions no longer offer the procedure.
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However, an important subset of patients still benefit from this procedure. And in certain cases, have a statistically higher chance of surgical success with the addition of a scleral buckle. Scleral buckles are also a great surgical option for young patients or patient who have not yet had cataract surgery, as it is substantially less invasive than traditional vitrectomy methods. A scleral buckle implant provides an extra layer of support and significantly reduces the chance of surgical failure. It also stays around the eye forever, offering lifelong protection.
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All of our doctors are specifically trained to perform scleral buckle surgery and do so routinely.
Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR)
The success rate of a retinal detachment repair is generally over 90%. In some rare cases, however, patients can develop 'scar tissue' in the eye called proliferative vitreoretinopathy. It is natural for the body to want to scar itself in order to heal. Just like a scar on your skin, which is raised or puckered, the retinal can also develop scar tissue. Unfortunately, a 'puckering' of the retina can actually re-detach the retina from the wall of the eye.
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In patients who develop PVR, multiple surgeries are often required to remove the scar tissue and facilitate healing. Our physicians have extensive experience treating and repairing patients who have developed PVR. We serve as a tertiary care site for MA, CT, and VT for these specific types of cases.
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Our practice is also the only practice in the state of Connecticut to offer methotrexate treatment, which is an immune-modulating medication that reduces the risk of recurrence.
Sub-Retinal Therapy
Sub-retinal therapy is a delicate procedure that utilizes a very fine (less than the tip of a hair!) needle to deliver medication just underneath the retina. It is used in cases of sub-retinal bleeding, which can result in a very toxic loss of vision without treatment. Sub-retinal therapy is also the future of gene therapy delivery to the eye and may be the key to slowing down degenerative conditions like Stargardts Disease or Geographic Atrophy.
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Many of our surgical physicians trained at institutions that pioneered the use of sub-retinal therapy, including Luxterna, tissue plasminogen activator, and air displacement.
