Torn Retina, Vitrectomy

[big A]

This post will be dedicated to Q&A about torn or dislocated Retinas and Vitrectomy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_vitreous_detachment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitrectomy

There may be no questions because other than myself I don't know anyone else who has had an issue, however everyone I know, knows someone who knows someone.

A very important thing to know is at the first sign of a torn retina you should see an eye doctor. I don't mean "well I got Friday off so I will go then". That could turn an in office laser repair with minor recovery into a rush to Rockyview with months of recovery and terrible vision until recovered.

The best way to explain the first sign is to talk about mine.

One evening I kept thinking there was a piece of dirt on my glasses. So I kept taking them off and blowing and wiping them obsessively all night. The next day at work, I changed glasses to my safety prescription glasses and the spec was still there. That was when I noticed the black spec moved with my eye just a moment behind.

I waited a day to see if it would go away, but the spec doubled in size so I phoned the doctor who sent me to Southern Alberta Eye Center.

I had one small tear that he fixed immediately and almost painlessly. There also was a larger tear that he had to put a gas bubble under and come back in a week to laser that sucker. The bubble had to dissipate on its own so it was like the Dr. said looking through a fish bowl.

They thought I was out of the woods so warned me about something that might look like a black curtain and come back in two months.

Well that black curtain came, and what it is, is the retina falling off. Now I needed the Vitrectomy. They let my wife drive me to the hospital but it was all rushed. Straight in and to a bed and to surgery.

Now my eye has a buckle on it and its filled with oil to keep pressure on the retina. Making vision kinda like you would imagine an eye filled with oil would be.

So not being able to use tools or lift anything over five pounds during recovery leads me to today, bored out of my tree, rambling on.

Oh yeah one more thing. Nobody needs to tell the story about how when they were in school they dislocated someones retina in a fight. I think I heard that story 15 times from 15 people. It's the same story recycled just with different names and I didn't believe the first one I heard.

[A790]

Holy shit dude... how the hell does your retina just fall off?!

[SJW]

I'm going through the same shit right now. They're called floaters. And mine are getting worse. Did this just come on suddenly? Because mine seems to have.

I'm going to an eye doctor tomorrow. Fuck it.

[big A]

Well it doesn't just fall off. It starts with a tear that gets worse and then falls off.

YES SJW phone the doc and explain the floater, they probably will give you an immediate appointment. When I went and was done I went to the counter with my wallet out and they said " don't worry Alberta health takes care of it".

[V6-BoI]

Same thing happened to my dad a few years back in one of his eyes. He had eye surgery for cataracts, and a corneal transplant before, and a while afterwards (can't remember how long afterwards), his retina detached.

How my dad explained it was he started noticing bottom portion of his vision started getting really blurred. Then the blurriness started creeping higher and higher in his vision.

After he got the surgery to fix it, he had to sleep with his head down for a while so it wouldn't detach again.

[big A]

^^^Oh yeah face down recovery, how could I have forgotten about that.

When I had the gas bubble The Dr. literally drew an arrow on my head for my wife to make sure was always aimed at the ceiling.

For the Vitrectomy, I forget what was the deciding factor for oil over gas bubble but if it was gas it would have been six weeks of face down :eek:

To elaborate on how the tear happens: first is old age second is diabetic.

None of that is me or probably most beyonders so it is probably this.

When you are near sighted your eyeball is oblong instead of round. As you get to middle age your eye gets oblonger(a made up word for lack of a better) but the Retina does not stretch so therefore tears.

[Z_Fan]

Yeah, I'm near sighted too. And getting old.

I was wondering if my eyeball is getting more oblong or flattened or something. It's happening to both I think. Remember when you were a kid and you went to the fun house. There was that one mirror that made you look about the same height, but it made you look fat...

It's kind of exactly like that. Only happens when I look at my wife.

[big A]

Does anyone know where to get a cool eye patch.

I can't be the first person to wear a patch that doesn't want to wear a cheesy three dollar one from the pharmacy.

I tried that Co op medi center on Mclead just north of Southland but their selection was actually worse than Shoppers and Co op.

[Thaco]

my dad went though this a few months ago, got worse and worse until one day, he sneezed and felt a pop in his eye, and everything was blurry... scary shit considering he is already blind in his other eye, he went through the surgery and was given 50/50 chance of coming out blind, luckily, he was on the good 50...

[Abeo]

Originally posted by big A
Oh yeah one more thing. Nobody needs to tell the story about how when they were in school they dislocated someones retina in a fight. I think I heard that story 15 times from 15 people. It's the same story recycled just with different names and I didn't believe the first one I heard.

I don't need to tell this story, but I feel like it anyways
:angel:

Back in uni, a friend of mine was attacked from behind in a bar washroom and ended up getting his face smashed against a urinal. Along with a broken cheekbone, his retina partially detached. He had to quit playing football, couldn't lift weights for a long while, and had a bunch of surgeries.

Is the pupil in your eye with the oil in it hugely dilated?

[Spoons]

Originally posted by SJW
I'm going through the same shit right now. They're called floaters. And mine are getting worse. Did this just come on suddenly? Because mine seems to have.

I'm going to an eye doctor tomorrow. Fuck it.

I've had what looks like squiggles or random shit floating in my vision, but they go away pretty quickly..... Are we talking about the same thing or is that different? Haven't had one in awhile though.

[big A]

Is the pupil in your eye with the oil in it hugely dilated? [/B][/QUOTE]

***warning the pic is a bit graphic***

[big A]

Originally posted by Spoons


I've had what looks like squiggles or random shit floating in my vision, but they go away pretty quickly..... Are we talking about the same thing or is that different? Haven't had one in awhile though.

The floaters usually start out as dots and turn into larger spots without going away. Another symptom is shooting lights from when the retina is separated from the eye. These shooting lights happen randomly with no pattern.

The part about" Haven't had one in awhile though." sounds safe.

I have however stressed you don't fool around. Phone a Dr. and describe this to them. They will tell you to come in or not. Mine was covered under Alberta Health so I didn't have to pay anything.

[Spoons]

Originally posted by big A


The floaters usually start out as dots and turn into larger spots without going away. Another symptom is shooting lights from when the retina is separated from the eye. These shooting lights happen randomly with no pattern.

The part about" Haven't had one in awhile though." sounds safe.

I have however stressed you don't fool around. Phone a Dr. and describe this to them. They will tell you to come in or not. Mine was covered under Alberta Health so I didn't have to pay anything.

They've been happening since I was young so I take it I'm safe. Would have caught something when I was hit in the eye as a kid.

Got paper sling shot right into my left eye, iris pooled with blood. Now I have a higher chance of glaucoma and cataracts.

[Abeo]

Originally posted by big A

***warning the pic is a bit graphic***

I had just taken my first bite of supper when I clicked the link :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: That'll teach me

Not sure what I'm seeing... is that the normally white part, just inflamed and, uh, crimson?

(thanks for sharing, btw)

[SJW]

I got checked out today as to the sudden onset of floaters in my left eye. She said there are no tears. Just that floaters happen. I've been punched in that eye a few times and had a flying piece of metal hit me just above it. So she says that didn't help it much.

But i'm ok. It was less than 1/2 hour for her to check me out.

[big A]

Originally posted by Abeo


I had just taken my first bite of supper when I clicked the link :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: That'll teach me

Not sure what I'm seeing... is that the normally white part, just inflamed and, uh, crimson?

(thanks for sharing, btw)

Yup its just an eyeball. For four hours, while I was awake, just frozen and doped up, they removed scar tissue between the Retina and eye. Then I guess fixed the Retina. So I guess all that is the way the eye heals.

I'm glad you're fine SJW but I bet you still didn't feel like it was a waste of time.

[SJW]

Originally posted by big A


Yup its just an eyeball. For four hours, while I was awake, just frozen and doped up, they removed scar tissue between the Retina and eye. Then I guess fixed the Retina. So I guess all that is the way the eye heals.

I'm glad you're fine SJW but I bet you still didn't feel like it was a waste of time.

No I decided I best not fuck with my eyesight. I have a host of autoimmune problems so it may be due to some other "fun" thing. Oh the joys of getting old.

[Z_Fan]

Originally posted by Abeo
I had just taken my first bite of supper when I clicked the link :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: That'll teach me

(thanks for sharing, btw)

I just finished eating. Holy crap!! That's a nasty pic.

Hope OP's eye is OK after all is said and done.

[big A]

So surgery is Monday. It's obviously some kind of man made lens they are going to be giving me because I have been wearing glasses most of my life and I was told after I recover from the surgery I will have 20/20 vision in my operated eye.

They figure out what kind of lens to use by "measuring" my eye. They did this procedure by ultrasound after some drops that made my eye numb.

It's been over three months now and I think I have just gotten to the point where I am adjusting to things like depth perception and not getting dizzy or fatigued.

With having been used to one eye, I don't know what to expect when they both work again, I just know I am excited. I don't know if the next day, when they take the bandage off, if everything will be great or if it will be a gradual process while the swelling goes down?

I will give my next update as soon as I am allowed back on a computer :)

[Thaco]

Originally posted by big A
So surgery is Monday. It's obviously some kind of man made lens they are going to be giving me because I have been wearing glasses most of my life and I was told after I recover from the surgery I will have 20/20 vision in my operated eye.

They figure out what kind of lens to use by "measuring" my eye. They did this procedure by ultrasound after some drops that made my eye numb.

It's been over three months now and I think I have just gotten to the point where I am adjusting to things like depth perception and not getting dizzy or fatigued.

With having been used to one eye, I don't know what to expect when they both work again, I just know I am excited. I don't know if the next day, when they take the bandage off, if everything will be great or if it will be a gradual process while the swelling goes down?

I will give my next update as soon as I am allowed back on a computer :) when my dad went though this he said it was blurry for a few days before the vision came back.

[Nufy]

Originally posted by big A
The Dr. literally drew an arrow on my head for my wife to make sure was always aimed at the ceiling.



Sorry but I LOL'ed at that one...

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

[big A]

So the recovery was not even close to what I was expecting.
People kept asking me if I was getting nervous and I just said no, I was excited to get my sight in that one eye back.

I stayed awake again but got something so I couldn't feel the pain during the surgery. They also give me something to feel all dopey so I don't get freaked out when I watch needles and knives come towards my eye. Right at the end when he was stitching the eye I started to feel pain so they gave me another dose of the numbing stuff. That was an added bonus because I felt no pain in the recovery room so they sent me home right away. The nurse asked if I want T3s or Percocet, I said T3 because I know they work for me. She said really you never tried Percocet you should take them, they make you feel great. So I took the Percocet. Then she joked she is like a pusher because she always talks people into taking Percs.

On the drive home the pain just started a little but my wife told me I should get a head start and take one Perc, so I did. When I got home and to bed the pain was real bad so I took two more Percs. I don't think the Percs had any effect on the pain at all (compared to the first surgery when I used T3) they just made me feel very dizzy and like I wanted to barf. The pain was extreme, I was like those drunks at the hospital emergency, moaning and crying and begging for better drugs. However my wife googled to see that you can't mix T3 with Percs, it's hard on your liver, I think it was. So she gave me some gravol and after a while I fell asleep.

The next morning was a check up at the Dr. office. Everyone will probably laugh at me but I honestly thought it was going to be just like on T.V.
I thought they were going to remove the bandages, say open your eye and I can see. Well guess what. My vision was complete zero. I was extremely upset/depressed/angry I don't know but it caught me off guard.

It was just the preliminary nurse that took off the bandages so I didn't bother her with questions but when the Doc came in I asked him. He explained that he put an ointment in my eye and it takes six weeks for my vision to come in.

Two weeks passed and there was no sign of improvement. I was getting skeptical on recovery. Here is the interesting part, after about four months of having no vision in one eye and I had started to get used to it. One morning I started to see blob like images and within about a three day period my sight quickly came back to what I would say is about 70%. I thought it was going to be gradually over six weeks but to come in over three days like that was super exciting.

Now as of Monday, according to the Doctor, everything is 100%. Back to work, cleared to drive, can exercise again. I just need a new prescription for my glasses, I will try to see if blue cross will pay but if not oh well, small price to pay for not being blind :thumbsup:

Sorry for the long read but as you can tell I am pretty happy these days and I am also hoping that this thread can serve to help others in the future if they need to go through a vitrectomy or lens transplant or retina tear and google it looking for answers.

[A790]

Fuck yea buddy, glad to hear you had a great recovery! What a harrowing experience... thanks for sharing!

[Spoons]

Good to hear you are all better.

Just for notice for others though, eye floaters does not mean this is happening. What happened to big A is very rare. Just thought I would share because I've been getting a ton of eye floaters lately, and my left eye sometime feels like its out of focus. I rushed to the eye doctor (I'm still on probation for new job so no coverage)... I spent $100 for them to tell me that it's just because I work on the computer all day long.

Better safe than sorry but just figured I would share. Torn Retina is slim to none to happening. big A, you had some shitty luck there :rofl:

[big A]

^^^ I'm really surprised alberta health care didn't cover it. They did for me because the original doctor said they did not see anything wrong but will send me to the specialist to double check, then when I went to the counter with my wallet out the lady said it's ok AHC covers it.
Keep the receipt though because I think you can claim it on income tax.

Since this is a car forum I should mention That the Southern Alberta Eye Centre is directly across the street from Tunerworks. So at least on my many visits I got to see cool cars. I even saw a Mclaren mp4-12c (I think) there.