About Retinal Surgery
The physicians at Austin Retina Associates are vitreoretinal surgeons who have extensive training and experience in advanced retinal surgical techniques. Each of our retina specialists maintains surgical privileges at multiple hospitals and surgery centers in Austin. Patients requiring surgery will discuss with their surgeon which location best suits their specific needs. Often a patient’s overall health dictates which facility is best suited. Also a patient’s insurance may determine which facilities are considered. Our surgical coordinators can provide information about and directions to each surgical facility.
Our surgical coordinators will also help to schedule and plan for surgical cases as well as provide patients with all necessary information prior to their procedure. If needed, the surgical coordinator will correspond with a cardiologist, internist, or any other physician participating in the patient’s care in order to obtain medical clearance before surgery. It is helpful to have the physicians’ names and contact information available. The surgical coordinators can also provide information regarding overnight stay facilities as well as assist in arranging transportation.
Most procedures in the office are performed using topical anesthesia, usually eye drops, and rarely take longer than a few minutes. Procedures performed in a hospital or surgery center typically take about an hour and usually require anesthetics administered by an anesthesiologist.