What Is the Average Recovery Time for a Vitrectomy?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 06, 2023

Full recovery from vitrectomy generally takes a few months, although most healing happens in the first four weeks after surgery, notes NJRetina. Vitrectomy is an outpatient procedure generally performed under local anesthetic with occasional sedation.

Patients go home the same day, wearing an eye patch. They take it off the next day in the doctor’s office and return for a few follow-ups during that first month. Patients use several kinds of eye drops for the first few weeks, including steroid drops for swelling, antibiotic drops for potential infection, dilating drops to alleviate discomfort and additional drops to reduce pressure. Patients generally resume their normal activity levels within a few weeks, as stated by NJRetina.