What Is the Standard Treatment for Retinal Scarring?
Treatment is usually not necessary for retinal scarring, according to the National Eye Institute. If vision deteriorates to a point that it impacts daily activities, the patient may undergo a vitrectomy, a procedure performed under local anesthesia in which the surgeon removes the vitreous from the eye and replaces it with saline solution. He also removes the scar tissue during the procedure.
Most people become accustomed to the minor blurring and distortion in their vision that results from macular pucker, the term for scar tissue that develops on the macula, which is in the center of the retina, explains the National Eye Institute. As long as the individual can still perform daily activities, such as reading and driving, no treatment is necessary. Sometimes the scar tissue separates from the macula on its own, and the vision clears.
A vitrectomy usually improves the patient’s vision and reduces distortion, but it does not restore vision to normal, reports the National Eye Institute. Some patients enjoy better results than others. It can take up to three months for vision to improve. Scarring sometimes redevelops, although this is rare.
The vitrectomy accelerates the development of cataracts, necessitating cataract surgery within a few years of the vitrectomy, warns the National Eye Institute. Other complications may include retinal detachment during or following the procedure and infection.
