Retinal surgery: what conditions does it treat, and what's recovery time like?

Retinal surgery can be the ideal way to treat various different medical conditions that are affecting one’s retina. On hand in our latest article here to provide us with an expert insight into how retinal surgery is performed, and what it is used to treat, is revered London and Milton Keynes-based consultant ophthalmic surgeon, Mr Julian Robins.

What exactly is retinal surgery used to treat?

Retinal surgery is a microsurgery that is used to treat conditions affecting the retina. The most common conditions that retinal surgery treats include the following:

• retinal detachment
• macular hole
• epiretinal membrane
• diabetic retinopathy

How exactly is retinal surgery performed?

It is an operation that is performed in an operating theatre. We use a high-powered microscope. It is often compared to a type of keyhole surgery, as we make very small incisions. It can either be performed with general or local anaesthetic, and generally takes anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour.

What are the main risks?

There is, unfortunately, a possibility of making things worse through retinal surgery, so us surgeons need to be extra careful when performing it.

What are the main differences and similarities when compared to cataract surgery?

Both operations are microsurgeries that are performed in surgical theatres. Cataract surgery takes around 20 to 30 minutes, while, as mentioned, retinal surgery takes a bit longer than that.

What is recovery time like?

Recovery after retinal surgery can be quite varied actually. It of course depends on the condition that is being treated. Generally speaking, though, patients will be fully recovered after roughly a week.

If you are considering undergoing retinal surgery in the near future, Mr Julian Robins is the ideal surgeon for you. Contact him today via his Top Doctors profile.