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MARCH 2022 | The Surgical Technologist | 125 a week, SF6 bubble present for about 30 days, and C3F8 present for up to 60 days. 20 Patients can resume normal activities in approximately two to four weeks. 20 Complications of vitrectomy depend on age, presence of other medical conditions, and issues related to AMD. Complications include challenges with normal eye move- ment, hemorrhaging, infection, increased risk for cataract formation, lens damage, ocular hypertension, and retinal detachment. 20 Additionally, a small percentage of patients may not experience an improvement in vision. The patient is seen by the surgeon the same day of the procedure or next day to examine the eye and address complications, if present. The eyes are an astonishing organ. So much can be dis- covered by looking inside the eye. Surgeons can see sys- temic illness through the eye such as diabetes, aneurysms, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lupus, certain types of cancers, and other conditions. But like most of the human body, the eyes’ function can be taken for granted. ORG A N I Z A T I ONS T H A T SUP P OR T R E S E A RC H O F AMD A ND P ROV I DE I NF ORMA T I ON American Academy of Ophthalmology P.O. Box 7424 San Francisco, CA 94120-7424 (415) 561 – 8500 www.aao.org American Foundation for the Blind 1401 South Clark Street Suite 700 Arlington, VA 22202 (215) 502 – 7600 www.afb.org American Optometric Association 243 North Lindberg Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63141-7881 (314) 991 – 4100 www.aoa.org Macular Degeneration Association 5969 Cattleridge Boulevard Suite 100 Sarasota, FL 34232 (855) 962 – 2852 www.macularhope.org Macular Degeneration Partnership 6222 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 260 Los Angeles, CA 90048 (310) 623 – 4466 www.amd.org National Eye Institute Information Office 31 Center Drive MSC 2510 Bethesda, MD 20892-2510 (301) 496 – 5248 www.nei.nih.gov A B OU T T HE AU T HOR Kimberly Batchelor, CST, graduated from Moore Norman Technology Cen- ter in 2009. She worked in the labor and delivery specialty for 10 years at Saint Anthony’s Hospital in downtown Okla- homa City. Currently, she works at Sum- mit Outpatient Surgery Center where she found the love for retinal eye surgery. The author would like to thank Dawn Engle, CST, for her support in writing this article along with ophthalmologists Dr. Sandeep Shah and Dr. Brian Phelps for their teachings and opening her eyes to the world of retina. R E F E R E N C E S 1. Lusby FW, Zieve D. Seeing. Medline Plus. 2020. https://medlineplus.gov/ ency/anatomyvideos/000109.htm. Accessed November 2, 2021. 2. Welsh CJ, Prentice-Carver, C. Hole’s Anatomy & Physiology. 16th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2022. 3. National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Age-related macular degeneration what you should know. https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/health-pdfs/ WYSK_AMD_English_Sept2015_PRINT.pdf. Revised September 2015. Accessed October 22, 2021. 4. Age-related macular degeneration: facts & figures. BrightFocus Foundation. https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/age-related-macular-facts-fig- ures. Accessed July 9, 2021. 5. National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) tables. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-cam- paigns-and-resources/eye-health-data-and-statistics/age-related-macular- degeneration-amd-data-and-statistics/age-related-macular-degeneration- amd-tables. Updated February 7, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. 6. National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. Age-relatedmacular degeneration (AMD) data and statistics. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach- campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-data-and-statistics/age-related- macular-degeneration-amd-data-and-statistics. Updated July 7, 17, 2019. Accessed July 9, 2021.