Detached Retina

[WVMomof3]

Have you had surgery for it? How long did it take you to fully recover/see? Which surgery did you have.

I am a week post-op. I definitely see improvement and the Doctor said he is very pleased so far, it is just frustrating to not know how long I will be unable to see out of this eye. The doctor will only tell me that everyone is different, blah blah blah. I know of 2 people that had it done and they both had pretty long recovery and complications. I had a scleral buckle. The doctor said there are 2 types of surgery (laser and freezing) and he did both on me.

Just wondering what others have experienced.

Thanks!

 

[jackemail]

Have you had surgery for it? How long did it take you to fully recover/see? Which surgery did you have.

I am a week post-op. I definitely see improvement and the Doctor said he is very pleased so far, it is just frustrating to not know how long I will be unable to see out of this eye. The doctor will only tell me that everyone is different, blah blah blah. I know of 2 people that had it done and they both had pretty long recovery and complications. I had a scleral buckle. The doctor said there are 2 types of surgery (laser and freezing) and he did both on me.

Just wondering what others have experienced.

Thanks!

I had a detached retina 11 years ago, so don't remember all details. I know it took many weeks for the eye to recover, and I ended up with problems with my peripheral vision. And it seems that, very often, a detached retina soon leads to cataract formation. BUT after the retina surgery and the cataract surgery, my eye has the best vision it has ever had.

Good luck....

 

[S. C.]

Had the surgery 19 yrs ago and also don't remember a whole lot of details. I did get all of my vision back with no problems since.

 

[minkydog]

My grandfather and my father had detached retinas in the same week, hundreds of miles apart! Grandpa did pretty well. Dad did not. No particular reason, it just didn't take. There were complications. Grandpa got all his vision back, which had been pretty good prior to the detachment.

 

[sonnyjane]

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! My mom actually had her retina detach in BOTH eyes approximately 6 months apart. They aren't sure what made her susceptible to that. The one that detached first they were actually never able to repair and she can no longer see out of that eye. Fortunately they WERE able to repair her second eye and her vision in that eye has been restored, but she has a lot of difficulty only having sight in one eye.

 

[shortbun]

I've had laser on each eye, one twice. Never had the freeze surgery. The laser was not pleasant. I kept wanting to flinch. I could see almost immediately but it was blurry for a few days. I was not allowed to read, play on my computer or watch TV for two weeks. I hope I never have that problem again. They said mine were tears caused by drying of the vitreal fluid.

 

[peytonfinnmom]

Okay so I am in my early 30's and have had a detached retina twice... One 6 years ago in one eye and then 2 years ago in the other eye (oh lucky me!). I feel your pain! I did not know there was a laser procedure... Both times I was awake and they did the needle thing where they numb or freeze your eye before injecting the bubble behind your eye.. The freezing did not take and it hurt like heck to say the least. Both times my detached retina was in a place where I was lucky in that I had to sit and sleep upright for a month.. It would have stunk if the detached retina was in a different location as I can not imagine having to be face down for a month in order to recover! Both times I was pregnant and in a good deal of pain for almost two weeks. It did take about three weeks or so before I started to feel better. My one eye still has vision issues but my other one recovered perfectly. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Kimberle]

My Father had this a few years ago in one eye. It happened very fast. He had surgery within a few days. He had to lie on his stomach for a week or two until the "bubble" was absorbed.

 

[sunshinehighway]

My Father had this a few years ago in one eye. It happened very fast. He had surgery within a few days. He had to lie on his stomach for a week or two until the "bubble" was absorbed.

Yeah. I took care of someone recovering from detached retina surgery. He had to keep his face down as much as possible for the first week (I think it was a week). That was the hardest part. When he felt good enough to get out of bed or just couldn't stand being in need any longer, he'd sit with his head down on one of those tv tray tables.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

I had a detached retina in 1995 when I was in my mid 30s. At the time it was conventional surgery with a scleral buckle. My recovery time to clear vision was several months. During that time I was on tobradex (steroid) drops & saw my specialist often. Post surgery it was daily, once discharged from hospital it was every other day the first week, then twice a week for a while... it then went to every 2 weeks then monthly and for 10 years I had an annual check up. Three times during annual check ups I was sent for laser surgery, both on the eye operated on & my other eye. At the 10 year point I was "released" by my retinal specialist & told that she would be there for me if needed, but that I had been stable for so long I no longer needed her but needed to still see my Ophthalmologist or go to emerg at the onset of symptoms... My detached retina was the result of my severe myopia.. all the squinting over the years to focus took a toll on my retina. I will always be at risk, but now know the symptoms & when to get to my Dr or to the emergency dept at the hospital.

 

[WVMomof3]

Thanks for the reply's so far. I am a little nervous to see all the people who have had it on more than one eye. Yikes! I don't want to do this again. I had to be face down for the first 5 days and now only at night. The face down was not fun. My eye is still very swollen and it is easier for me not to see out of it because everything is blurry out of it. I have been covering it when I want to see "good". Mine happened very fast also. Though, I guess I had for awhile and did not know. I knew my vision was not right for several months, I just thought it was my contacts or I needed a new prescription. It did not bother me too much, I could still see, just not as well. Then I started having a spot "missing" from my vision. I mentioned it to a friend and she said I think you have detached retina, see a doctor. I looked online and didn't really think the symptoms matched me. I waited a week then finally made appointment with my regular eye doctor. She sent me immediately to retinal specialist and he said I will see you in the morning for surgery. Yikes! I was a little freaked out it happened so quickly. peytonfinnmom I can't imagine going through this while pregnant! I feel bad for you and feel like I shouldn't complain anymore! Wow.

I had laser again at one of my followup appointments. I was a little nervous, especially after he strapped my head in! I did flinch and broke through my straps. He was not happy with me, but yow, that was uncomfortable!

One thing I don't understand, and maybe I don't want to know. I was awake during whole surgery and beforehand was scared that I would be able to see them coming at me. But I did not see anything. How? Please tell me they did not take out my eyeball. I am hoping it was some kind of blinding drops. He didn't mention and I was a little freaked out to ask!

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Thanks for the reply's so far. I am a little nervous to see all the people who have had it on more than one eye. Yikes! I don't want to do this again. I had to be face down for the first 5 days and now only at night. The face down was not fun. My eye is still very swollen and it is easier for me not to see out of it because everything is blurry out of it. I have been covering it when I want to see "good". Mine happened very fast also. Though, I guess I had for awhile and did not know. I knew my vision was not right for several months, I just thought it was my contacts or I needed a new prescription. It did not bother me too much, I could still see, just not as well. Then I started having a spot "missing" from my vision. I mentioned it to a friend and she said I think you have detached retina, see a doctor. I looked online and didn't really think the symptoms matched me. I waited a week then finally made appointment with my regular eye doctor. She sent me immediately to retinal specialist and he said I will see you in the morning for surgery. Yikes! I was a little freaked out it happened so quickly. peytonfinnmom I can't imagine going through this while pregnant! I feel bad for you and feel like I shouldn't complain anymore! Wow. I had laser again at one of my followup appointments. I was a little nervous, especially after he strapped my head in! I did flinch and broke through my straps. He was not happy with me, but yow, that was uncomfortable! One thing I don't understand, and maybe I don't want to know. I was awake during whole surgery and beforehand was scared that I would be able to see them coming at me. But I did not see anything. How? Please tell me they did not take out my eyeball. I am hoping it was some kind of blinding drops. He didn't mention and I was a little freaked out to ask!

You are right... You don't want to know

The worst part of the laser for me was when she (Dr) would hit scar tissue. It's so much more sensitive... Ouch.

Like most mine was fast... For a week or so I had been seeing what I described as a lava lamp effect - but only as I would turn out the lights at bedtime. I thought I had scratched my cornea with my contact. I went to my contact lense practitioner who sent me on to an opthomologist, she dialated the eye & within an hour I was meeting with a retinal specialist. The word was "nothing to eat after 8pm I'll be operating at 6am tomorrow". It was all so quick I didn't have time for a reaction. I do remember being terrified to open the eye after recovery... Scared I may have lost my sight in the eye.