Retinal Detachment Reminder

[Lucy]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/517422/

[calli66]

Re: retinal detachment

The article did not mention vitreous detachment, which I have had in both eyes in the last 2 years. Also produces flashes, floaters, and sometime tears a bit of retina in the process (I had a minor bleed in one eye, but no detachment). Definitely go to the ophthalmologist right away if you see flashes, spots, and new large floaters!

Retinal detachment is a leading cause of blindness, and high myopes are at greater risk. Even if you have had lasik, you're eyeballs are still long, stretched, and under stress--and at risk.

C66

[theswimmer]

retinal detachment

I am post RK 1989, had cataract surgery with a crystalens HD500 which was successful, refraction is at plano and holding (8-26-08). One month later had the start of a RD upper right hand corner and caught it at it's very early stage. (9/26/08).
Had the surgery with a gas bubble that lasted one month and they did a 23 gauge vitrectomy. All seems well, still have great near and intermediate. Under the right lighting condition, my distance is still great, that is where I notice my contrast issue the most, especially among white surfaces and colors. Night driving is a pain (glare)
My pupil is still a little larger, see my eye MD Friday and hoping maybe a weak pilocarpine will jump start the pupil or it may be that I am due for a YAG, because I understand the gas bubble leaves a little film on the back of the IOL. Have you or anyone gone through this. Thanks
Mike (theswimmer)

[calli66]

No, I haven't had any further problems with vitreous or retina. I have a little macular degeneration which is probably due to high myopia, so I do have trouble seeing clearly at night. One of my pupils has always been noticeably more open (larger) than the other, and I don't see as well in that eye. How big is the difference in pupil size between your two eyes?

Good luck with your eyes and vision----you've been through a lot, and hopefully you'll remain stable now. Night vision seems to be something we lose as we age. I started taking those "eye vitamins" and Bilberry capsules in an effort to stall the deterioration.

C

[Gaye]

Posterior Vitreous Detachment

I am curious as to how many of you out there have experienced this and what types of treatment (if any) you have had. After my situation this past weekend (I had never even heard of such a thing before!), I have been trying to collect as much information as I can about it and where it might eventually lead (a much more serious problem?). Would love to hear your stories.

[Lucy]

Mike, I can relate what I had that is applicable to you. Had bi-lateral Lasik early 2000. I had cataract surgery in one eye in 2004. I had the YAG laser surgery a few months later in the cataract eye. The YAG is pretty simple and not to be feared. I hope it clears up your problems, which have been many. I'd like to ask why you went for the Crystalens. My cataract surgery was a disaster (off by 4 diopters). I'm afraid to have the other eye done. Lucy

[rhawkins]

I am curious as to how many of you out there have experienced this and what types of treatment (if any) you have had. After my situation this past weekend (I had never even heard of such a thing before!), I have been trying to collect as much information as I can about it and where it might eventually lead (a much more serious problem?). Would love to hear your stories.

I am experiencing my second vitreous detachment. The 1st was at about this time last year. It began one night and really frightened me until I was able to see my opthamologist the next day. When the flash started again last night in the other eye, I was not alarmed According to him, it is rather common as we age, and I would likely experience more in either eye. I am not severely myopic (-.50 left, -.75 right), and after about 18 hours of a flash in the corner of my eye last year, I've only noticed a floater on occasion. I'm hoping it will be the same this time.

[Gaye]

Posterior Vitreous Detachment

Thanks for your response rhawkins! As I read more about this and talk to more people who have had this happen to them, I am reassured that this will probably settle down after a time. Glad yours wasn't worse. Good old middle age tosses us another curve ball.

[blackberry]

Retinal Tear

I had a retinal tear last year at this time. As it was a Saturday, I went to an on-call doctor because I had a sudden onset of bad floaters. He said he didn't see anything wrong. Well, the condition continued to get worse as my eye filled up with junk over the weekend. I went to my regular doctor on Monday, who found the tear in the upper right quadrant of my eye and did laser surgery to fix it. That was on Christmas Eve. I was so afraid to have another laser near my eye, but didn't feel I had any choice. Now that eye is quite sensitive to light, and I have weird ghosting and halos at night that are even worse than what I had from a Lasik surgery in 2000. It seems there's not much you can do to prevent these tears. I was a very high myope -9.75, so the shape of the eye has a lot to do with these events. Hope this helps anyone out there who has had this condition.

[calli66]

BBerry,

Thanks for describing your experience. I am a high myope myself, and had a very small retinal tear as a result of the vitreous detachment (I had a detachment in the other eye, but no bleeding with that one). It bled a little bit, but healed OK and didn't need laser repair. I was interested in what you said about "weird ghosting and halos." Even though I haven't had Lasik, I definitely have a lot of ghosting and halos---and it's worse in the eye that had the bleeding. I wonder if they are connected.

I remember the ophthalmologist did a thorough and painful exam, using a Volk Lens, which is a magnifying glass that rests right on the eyeball. The doctor "lubed up" my eye, and then moved that thing all over my eyeball (it felt like) to get a good view of every portion of the retina. I was glad she was so thorough. Although after all that rubbing with the lens, my eye felt awful---the worst surface pain and dryness. But that went away after a couple of days.

C

[mary kenny badami]

In June 2005 I posted on a sister-site to this one (LaserMyEye/ D’Eyealogues) an account of my experience with a PVD ( = posterior vitreous detachment) in my left eye the previous year, and my right eye that month.
http://www.lasermyeye.org/forums/sho...erior+vitreous

In November 2006 another poster asked about what it would be like to have laser treatment because he had been diagnosed with “weak spots in both of my eyes’ retina.” I offered additional information about my personal experience with such a procedure.
http://www.lasermyeye.org/forums/sho...erior+vitreous

I suspect that most posters on this DETalk website been consulting generalist eye docs because of dry eye problems, and/or specialists in cornea surface diseases ( = front-of-the-eye), and/or may have had refractive surgery, which again is the domain of corneal specialists. However, if you should develop lightning-flashes, however briefly they may last, or if you have a sudden onset of new floaters, you might be well advised to find or ask for referral to a RETINAL specialist ( = back-of-the-eye, where the retina attaches to the optic nerve and sends messages to the visual center of your brain), to have a thorough dilated examination.

Both times when I called to report my symptoms to the retinal specialist I was seen on the very same day -- and one of them occurred a Sunday, where they opened up the eye clinic in an otherwise deserted part of a regional hospital -- because the worst-case scenario turns out to be permanent loss of vision. Thankfully in my case, both times there was a therapeutic (“Argon laser”) fix which prevented such a dire outcome.

I concluded the first post I mentioned above with advice that I think holds true today: “whatever your pre-, post-, or non-Lasik status, please take seriously any new signs of flashing lights and/or the sudden onset of new floaters in your eyes. Better to make the acquaintance of a retinal doctor than to risk losing your precious eyesight!”

[blackberry]

Ghosting

Dear Cali66:
Thanks for that post. I guess the ghosting is one of the outcomes of the repair/surgery. It's interesting that you had that as well. I'm due to see my eye doc in a few months, I'll let you know what he says about it, if anything.