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Another setback-- anyone ever have a retinal tear repaired

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Posted 1/30/2012 10:05 PM (GMT 0)
This is an old thread seeing new activity. As far as I know, Mel's eyes are OK now. Read the dates before you respond. Scroll to the bottom to see what is going on with other members with similar concerns. -- PeterDA

Well, I can't seem to catch a break.
I was teaching Friday when all of a sudden a bee crossed in front of my face, only it wasn't a bee. It was a huge annoying floater that is still there. Additionally, when going into a dark room any kind of head movement results in a flash of light.

I went to the optometrist today and bottom line is he says I have a small tear in the peripheral of my retina. There might be some bleeding there too. Tomorrow after work I will be seeing a surgeon (opthamologist who does retinal repairs).

Anyone have this done? I've heard they have assorted techniques and it just depends on what the guy finds.

Mel

Post Edited By Moderator (PeterDisAbelard.) : 12/1/2014 8:37:09 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/30/2012 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
I had a scare with this a few months ago. I visit a specialty surgeon every year for a "proper" exam due to some family issues (hereditary) with the retina.

After a long exam (over an hour) they did not find anything, but the doctor warned me that this is a most critical situation if it gets any worse.

Several cousins (same risky blood line) have had to have that repair surgery.

So do not even think about ignoring or putting it off.

Posted 1/30/2012 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
142:

My eyes are one of my prized possessions -- they have always worked so well. I don't even wear glasses except some cheap ones just for reading.

No way would I put this off.

Tomorrow, 1:00 PM appointment.

Mel

Posted 1/30/2012 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
Mel,

I know a couple people who had varying degrees of this. One had an injection of a gas bubble. The bubble floats against the retina and holds it in place. You have to keep your head in a certain position for most of the day. Night too maybe, I don't recall. This was rather unpleasant. There had already been some partial loss of vision, but fortunately it was restored.

The other person had a laser treatment, sort of like tacking the retina in place in several spots. Less invasive treatment, probably for a less advanced case. Hopefully yours is less advanced.

Good luck,

DJ
Posted 1/30/2012 11:42 PM (GMT 0)
compiler

A few years back I leaned over to pick up the dogs water bowl and when I straightened up I thought there was a fly buzzing around my face, when I couldn`t chase it, I realized there was something in my eye.

I wasn`t really concerned but decided to call my optomotrist. I explained my problem to the receptionist and she put me on hold to talk to the doctor. When she came back on she said the doctor needs to see you right away. She kinda freaked me out!. I said, what do I have? she said you may have a retinal tear. I went in right away. After the exam he said you do indeed have a tear in the retina of your left eye and it has to be repaired now or you could possibly loose your sight in the eye.

He repaired the tear with a laser. It only took about a half hour and I didn`t feel any pain during the proceedure but when the local anesthetic wore off ,it really hurt. it felt like I had  sand in my eye.  DO NOT WAIT.

1snake

Posted 1/30/2012 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
DJ-- is it possible the gas bubble was for a retinal detachment?

Snake -- were you able to resume your normal activities quickly?

Mel

Posted 1/31/2012 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,

Take it very seriously. I have a condition in my right eye that is called macular vascular oclusion. Basically some blood vessels are weakening and leaking into the retina. Left unchecked it will ruin the eye and cause blindness. I have had injections of Lucentis ( a chemotherpy drug) and will have another one on March. You may have laser surgery. It is an option for me, but my retinologist prefers the injections as the laser can cause scarring of the retina.

Good luck,

Jack.
Posted 1/31/2012 12:44 AM (GMT 0)

compiler said...


Anyone have this done? I've heard they have assorted techniques and it just depends on what the guy finds.

Mel

I had a retinal tear in 2006. It was repaired by laser tack surgery, which did not hurt at all. No problems since then.

A retinal tear must be repaired quickly or there is the risk that fluid will get behind the lining and cause the tear to expand, which could result in a more difficult surgery, or even blindness.

But once you get the surgery done you should be fine, perhaps with some slight loss of extreme peripheral vision.

Good luck.

San Carlos
Posted 1/31/2012 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
Jack:

Rest assured I am taking this VERY SERIOUSLY. The whole thing started Friday and it looks like surgery tomorrow (not sure, he might just check it and schedule the surgery but my guess is he will do it right there).

Also, the purpose of the laser surgery is to CREATE some scarring. This revents retinal detachment.

Mel

Posted 1/31/2012 4:46 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,

You are correct, the bubble was for a detached retina. Which I guess you don't have, but I guess I thought a detachment was what happens if the tear progresses.

DJ
Posted 1/31/2012 8:27 PM (GMT 0)

Finally got good news from a doctor’s appointment. Went to the surgeon, expecting immediate surgery. But his examination did not reveal a full-fledged tear. There is a weak spot that he wants to re-examine in 4 weeks. It is a borderline tear. If it gets worse, then it will be a very easy 2-minutes laser procedure since it would be a very small tear. If it doesn’t get worse, then I assume we can forget about it. Needless to say, going in for surgery and having this happen was a very pleasant surprise!

Mel

Posted 1/31/2012 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
compiler

It took about 2 days for that "sand in the eye" irratation to go away. No problems since.

I hope you have no further problems.

1 snake

Posted 2/1/2012 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
Glad to hear good news!
Posted 2/1/2012 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
A tear with no detachment is not that big a deal..They weld it up with a laser..A detached retina is a major problem that can result in permanent loss of vision. A blow to the head usually is the cause, but not always..Getting it repaired quickly is very important as without a blood supply, the detached retina dies and vision is permanently lost. Retinologists are on call 24/7 for that reason..
Posted 2/1/2012 3:39 AM (GMT 0)
sounds to me, that you had some "good" bad luck this time, mel. thank goodness.
Posted 2/1/2012 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
It's always nice to hear some good news on this site.
Posted 2/2/2012 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,

Glad to hear that your eye situation is manageble.

For those who have had the laser surgery, what was it like?   The injections I get are pretty freaky.  Just the idea of a shot in the eye makes me unsettled....and I will have them regularly for many years to come unless something else comes along that is curative.  When injected the vision goes totally black for nearly one minute.   For my condition, Avastin was used but it blinded several people so it is rarely used for the injections now.   Thus I have received Lucentis.    A new drug is now available that my retinologist says will increase the period between injections form a few months to maybe a year, but he tells me to expect to have regular injections.

By comparison, my PCa treatment has been a piece of cake.

Posted 2/2/2012 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
"For those who have had the laser surgery, what was it like? The injections I get are pretty freaky. Just the idea of a shot in the eye makes me unsettled....and I will have them regularly for many years to come unless something else comes along that is curative. When injected the vision goes totally black for nearly one minute."

There was no pain at all, no injection either. You just see a lot of "pink" flashes as the laser goes off. Depending on the size of the tear and amount of scar tissue needed to reattach the tear you might get from fifty to a couple of hundred pops. But basically it is a painless procedure.

By coincidence I am scheduled for a corrective laser eye procedure tomorrow. It seems that the plastic lens that they put in there when I had cataract surgery has developed some haze so the goal is to burn it off.

San Carlos
Posted 2/2/2012 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Compiler,

Ten years ago I had two lazer treatments, a month apart, for tears (with flashing lights) in the retina of my left eye. No problems since.

I had 212 zaps of lazer treatment, in my right eye, last July to reinforce a "thin area" in my right retina prior to multi-focal lens implant surgeries, one week apart.

Unlike my sling surgery 2 1/2 years ago where the surgeon, to my horror, described one sling and implanted an entirely different sling (since partially removed and corrected), these multi-focal implantable lenses have been fantastic, like my AdVance sling.

After wearing pads and glasses for ten and thirty years respectively, I am now blessed with dry undies and 20-20 vision.

Best wishes,

John

Post Edited (male_sling_problems) : 2/2/2012 6:15:07 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/2/2012 4:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mel, 5 weeks ago, I suddenly experienced flashing lights in my right eye periphial vision, then experienced a large floater like a spider web in the middle of my vision. Rang the optometrist right away, she told me to come in, and then examined me, upshot of it all was that I had experienced a bleed in one of the small viens at the back of the eye, had a followup last week and she siad the bleed area was resolving itself.

Gives you a fright eh?

Mal.
Posted 2/2/2012 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
The floater continues to be annoying. AS time goes on I'll get more and more used to it and tune it out, I'm sure.

I'll see how my repeat check-up goes in 4 weeks. I also have a PSA test to do at that time. FUN!

Mel

Posted 2/2/2012 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
I had the flashing lights, spiderweb afterimage and floaters. Turned out to be a posterior vitreous detachment. The fluid bag inside the eye shrank and pulled away from the retina. The opthamologist treated it as an emergency until they knew exactly what is was.

That was a couple years ago. I still have annoying floaters, particularly while driving at night.
Posted 12/1/2014 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
I had a laser "tack" treatment 3 days ago, after experiencing the flashing lights and increase in floaters. All MD's advised the same
immediate appointment with a specialist. No time wasted, and I was in the Doc's office same day. The diagnosis was posterior vitreous detachment and I'm hopeful that my next visit to the ophthalmologist
will result in total resumption of lifestyle. I'm 66 and still very active.

Does anyone know anything about nutritional supplements to speed healing and prevent recurrence? I am not a big believer in "natural" or "organic" healing or vitamins, but other than increasing consumption of dark green veggies, I don't know how to help my retina heal.

Appreciate any and all responses. This is a very scary condition!
MB Handball
Posted 12/1/2014 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
My wife gets something like this in a rare while. Every time she goes in they fuss over, worry it's something serious, wait the 4 weeks and it doesn't happen again for months or years.

But I also had a coworker once who had to have the laser treatment and that worked fine for him. Sadly it will likely just be something you, er, will have to keep your eye on...

Andrew
Posted 12/1/2014 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
I have had floaters now and then, they have always self resolved. I just had one a week ago but it has gone.. I have never had the flashes of light, except in my mind, which I always appreciate.
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