What is vitreo-retinal (VR) surgery?

VR surgery is highly specialized intricate surgery performed in the back segment of the eye. It is
undertaken to manage a range of disorders:

• Complications of cataract surgery e.g. a dropped nucleus/displaced intraocular lens
• Retinal detachment
• Vitreous haemorrhage
• Macular hole
• Epiretinal membranes
• Advanced diabetic eye disease
• Vitreous floaters
• Posterior uveitis
• Trauma involving the retina

For some patients, VR surgery is combined with cataract surgery (often referred to as a ‘phaco-vity’).

This surgery is undertaken at the Face & Eye Clinic by Mr Piergiacomo Grassi,  Mr Niall Patton, Mr Assad Jalil, and Mrs Rubina Rahman.

Click here for for a recent press release on some of their pioneering work.

Please note that although cataract surgery can be performed under local anaesthesia alone, local anaesthesia with safe, conscious intravenous sedation given by a very experienced and skilled consultant anaesthetist (commonly referred to as “twilight anaesthesia”) is also available where requested. This form of anaesthesia is extremely popular with our patients and the effects are reversed very quickly. It enables local anaesthetic injections to be given painlessly with little recollection of the surgery, and helps to keep patients calm, relaxed and comfortable.

Any patients requiring general anaesthesia or who are unsuitable for surgery at our day case facility, the Face & Eye Clinic, will be treated by our surgeons in a local private hospital e.g.the  new Private Wing of Manchester Royal Eye Hospital (The Manchester Centre for Vision) or the BMI Alexandra Hospital Cheadle.