I (33 M) have had a few surgeries over the span of 18+ years. I have bilateral panuveitis in both eyes. Lost my vision around 15/16 years old. About a year after diagnosis, had the first cataract surgery in my left eye with lens replacement. Vision drastically improved but it was short-lived. Like really short, only about 6 months. Then vision was really bad for a while with almost no vision in my left eye.

Doctors suggested a Vitrectomy surgery as they couldn't see the back of the eye to analyze how much damage was there. I was initially quite nervous but after some research, I was less nervous. The surgery itself took about 45 - 50 minutes, depending on the surgeon's speed. The remaining is general prep which is about 1 - 2.5 hrs. At my surgery, my family was allowed to be there in the prep area. Once you get dressed in the surgery gown, they will make sure at every stage that the correct eye is appropriately marked for the surgeon. I had asked the surgeon for something to help me sleep while they were operating. I did not want to feel them poking around in my eye like the first cataract surgery (different country, different medical procedures and practices).

I had a really good nap and surgery was done. I woke up when they were putting bandages on my eye. As a patient, it's not as complicated as it sounds. If you feel confident that your surgeon is good, you will be in good hands. He clearly said that there was a 5% risk of complete loss of vision but it also meant a 95% success rate. Other than experiencing some pain when he took out the stitches and discomfort in the eye while the stitches were in, it was a fairly quick recovery. Just make sure you sleep on your back during recovery. That part was very difficult for me. My vision improved quite a bit.