Torn retina anyone?

My best bud had one detach (partially maybe) and I believe he’s had 3-4 surgeries as well, he’s still not 100%, it all started with cataract surgery.
 
I had a complicated PVD about 3 years ago that resulted in a horseshoe tear, fixed using laser. I had a vitreous hemorrhage with it that recurred once after the surgery, but there was no further damage to the retina and I only had the one surgery. Not sure how common it is to require multiple surgeries; you definitely have my sympathies.
 
Thanks Azure.
The first surgery was for a detached retina. That surgery seemed to have a good effect. Gas bubble was used, and healing coming along nicely. Then, as a result of the laser, had cataract (Dr said b4 surgery this would be required) removed & replaced with acrylic lens, as is customary. I was almost out of the woods; gas dissipated, and Dr found a slight tear (tears only get worse) so back into the surgery, and another gas bubble. So far so good. When the gas bubble was almost completely dissipated, I began to have original symptoms. Back to the Dr, this time referred to the go-to Dr at Emory in atlanta, diagnosis is PVR. Today, I am post surgery 10 days, have a (silicone) oil bubble, and so far, so good. But completely recovery is 6-10 months. Vision today is about 20/100. I was 20/20 when this started. But, prognosis is “close to 20/20” no pun intended, by summer of 2020. Oh, I closed the paperwork on my 1st aircraft two weeks before this all started.
First world problems.
 
My turn .. horseshoe tear. first symptoms Christmas Eve; surgery on Monday. Two procedures. Pneumatic retinopexy (the gas bubble) and cryopexy (freezing the wall of the eye).

two questions ..

1. How long for the gas bubble to dissipate?
2. Suggestions for reliably getting eye drops in? I’ve been putting soft contact lenses in my eyes for over forty years with no problem, but between my blink reflex and poor aim it takes about 3 attempts to get the antibiotic and steroid eye drops in.
 
Yes, torn retina was diagnosed in my eye but I was told the typical laser surgery doesn't apply in my case, the tear is too small.
Side effects - some large floater and million little 'droplets' in my view. Now, 3 weeks later all those droplets are practically gone but some ugly floater remains.
 
I’m on surgery number three. Two ops with the gas bubble, both resulted in a resulted in a re-tear. 3rd attempt, with a silicon bubble, looks like it will succeed. It took about 6-7 weeks for my gas bubble(s) to completely dissipated. 1st surgery was May 7th of ‘19. The last operation was Oct1st. My advise: follow doctors orders. Head positioning is critical. Follow instructions to the letter. I did so, and still had two surgical goes at trying to restore my sight. It can be a most frustrating experience, but don’t let it get you down. There are a whole lot worse things than this to go thru. Count your blessings, make the best of this. Good luck.
 
Do you mind talking about what caused your bubbles? I am diabetic and have bubbles in my left retina which, until they shrink or go away, are delaying surgery to correct nearsighted and cataracts. Hope the retina doc will have good news tomorrow and we can get on with things.

Good luck and may your condition clear soon!
 
Hi Jon,
Sure, no worries talking about this. But I think there’s misunderstanding about the bubble(s) to which you refer. My bubble took occurred as a result of a surgical procedure called vitrectomy, where the surgeon uses a laser to repair or reattach the retina, and then subsequently replaces about 80% of the vitreous fluid of the eye with a gas bubble. The function of the bubble is to assist in keeping the retina in place until it heals naturally. The bubble is an inert gas, harmless to the body, and dissipates completely in 8-12 weeks. The gas used in my procedure was nitrous oxide, which i’m told is typical. It sounds like you have a completely different issue from mine. One small tidbit of advise for your case (worth what you paid for it)... have you looked at your diet? It is my understanding that a high protein, high fat, low carbs, low sugar diet helps a lot of people with the onset of diabetes. Many people get completely off all medication, B/P drops to great numbers, cloresterol likewise improves greatly. There are several versions of this type diet out there, with one caveat; it is a pretty significant change for most people. And it is not so much a diet as it is a lifestyle, permanent change. The keto diet, Adkins diet, paleo diet are all examples of what I described. Good luck to you sir.
 
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Van Johnston said:
2. Suggestions for reliably getting eye drops in? I’ve been putting soft contact lenses in my eyes for over forty years with no problem, but between my blink reflex and poor aim it takes about 3 attempts to get the antibiotic and steroid eye drops in.
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I had a cornea transplant plus intraocular lens replacement 1 1/2 yrs ago. Need daily drops as of yet.

I get in front of the mirror and pull the lower eyelid down. While doing that, I get the eye drop bottle in position, aiming at that pulled down area, as close as I dare to the eyeball. While holding the bottle in position, I tilt my head back to vertical, then give the bottle a squeeze. Seems to work for me.
 
Chuck Buchanan said:
I’m on surgery number three. Two ops with the gas bubble, both resulted in a resulted in a re-tear. 3rd attempt, with a silicon bubble, looks like it will succeed. It took about 6-7 weeks for my gas bubble(s) to completely dissipated. 1st surgery was May 7th of ‘19. The last operation was Oct1st. My advise: follow doctors orders. Head positioning is critical. Follow instructions to the letter. I did so, and still had two surgical goes at trying to restore my sight. It can be a most frustrating experience, but don’t let it get you down. There are a whole lot worse things than this to go thru. Count your blessings, make the best of this. Good luck.
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Wow, so sorry you are going through this again. I had a tear in my left retina, caused by the normal age related vitreous detachment. I had 3 or 4 laser procedures, then a cryo. My tear and detachment did not cover the macula, and they just nailed down around it to keep it from progressing. I have a blind spot there (other than the regular blind spot) but it’s not central so I don’t notice it at all. It’s on the nasal side so doesn’t affect my peripheral vision. Because of the location it wasn’t critical to reattach that part and so I never had a bubble or anything enter the globe. But the cryo, they went all around the “equator” if you know what I mean. (They freeze from the outside.) That retina isn’t going anywhere now. But my vitreous was left with a lot of ash and floaters. They could do a vitrectomy but I’d rather live with it than do something invasive and deal with the resulting cataract.

You have a great attitude. It was a terrifying experience for me.
 
Chuck thanks for the info and good words. Good news from the retina doc, left side has improved enough that he cleared me for cataract surgery. In addition to fixing the cataracts they are going to correct severe near nearsightedness. Looking forward to no more glasses or contacts except for reading. Also to have normal color vision again because right now everything looks gross with an orange yellow cast.
 
Rushie said:
Wow, so sorry you are going through this again. I had a tear in my left retina, caused by the normal age related vitreous detachment. I had 3 or 4 laser procedures, then a cryo. My tear and detachment did not cover the macula, and they just nailed down around it to keep it from progressing. I have a blind spot there (other than the regular blind spot) but it’s not central so I don’t notice it at all. It’s on the nasal side so doesn’t affect my peripheral vision. Because of the location it wasn’t critical to reattach that part and so I never had a bubble or anything enter the globe. But the cryo, they went all around the “equator” if you know what I mean. (They freeze from the outside.) That retina isn’t going anywhere now. But my vitreous was left with a lot of ash and floaters. They could do a vitrectomy but I’d rather live with it than do something invasive and deal with the resulting cataract.

You have a great attitude. It was a terrifying experience for me.
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Hi Rushie,
I’m wondering, with all the work you’ve had done, what Is your vision after all this work, compared to what it was before. Were you able to get back to 20/20?
 
Had second follow up yesterday to the Monday procedures. So far, so good. Before the procedure the ophthalmologist said there was about 80% probability of success.


Chuck Buchanan said:
The bubble is an inert gas, harmless to the body, and dissipates completely in 8-12 weeks. The gas used in my procedure was nitrous oxide, which i’m told is typical.
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mine was .5ml of sulphur hexaflouide. Doc said about 4 weeks for mine to dissipate.

painless said:
But the cryo, they went all around the “equator” if you know what I mean. (They freeze from the outside.) That retina isn’t going anywhere now. But my vitreous was left with a lot of ash and floaters. They could do a vitrectomy but I’d rather live with it than do something invasive and deal with the resulting cataract.
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my tear is at the 12 o’clock position, so fittingly I guess my North Pole was frozen. Yes, it looks like I’m looking through a bottle of muddy river water.
 
painless said:
I get in front of the mirror and pull the lower eyelid down. While doing that, I get the eye drop bottle in position, aiming at that pulled down area, as close as I dare to the eyeball. While holding the bottle in position, I tilt my head back to vertical, then give the bottle a squeeze. Seems to work for me.
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thank you. I will try that.
 
Van Johnston said:
Yes, it looks like I’m looking through a bottle of muddy river water.
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Ugh... I remember that feeling well. In my case it was due to a vitreous hemorrhage, a side effect of the retinal tear (bridging vessel torn as the vitreous pulled away). I still have more floaters than I'd like in that eye. Best wishes for a complete recovery.
 
First procedure for cataracts and myopia next week second the following week. Looking forward to the world no longer being yellow and possibly not needing glasses!!!!

Thanks for the tips on applying eye drops.
 
Van Johnston said:
My turn .. horseshoe tear. first symptoms Christmas Eve; surgery on Monday. Two procedures. Pneumatic retinopexy (the gas bubble) and cryopexy (freezing the wall of the eye).
Click to expand...

update...new detachment at 3 o’clock position. Vitrectomy with new bubble yesterday, so starting over. Upside is vitrectomy went ahead and got rid of most of the detritus floating around in there.
 
Sorry to hear this Van Johnson. I completely empathize with you. The first time one goes thru that retina detachment thing, it's hard to take it seriously. But the second tear....it is incredibly discouraging to see that curtain come down into one's vision, having experienced it once already, and that "here we go again" feeling. Try to keep your chin up. In the not-too-distant past, this event was the precursor to blindness in the affected eye. Knowing that (for me, at least) any vision recovery I may experience is all gravey. Follow the Doc's orders to the letter. Head positioning is crucial. Drops (on time, and in do not fail) are also crucial. As for me, my 3rd surgery back on Oct.1st is holding, at least so far. I did the silicone bubble on attempt #3, the previous two surgeries were the gas bubble, neither of which worked for me. The downside to the silicone is that it has to be surgically removed as well. My surgery for that proceedure is scheduled for mid April. I'll keep the board updated, as things progress. Warm wishes for a speedy, successful recovery. Oh, I find that books on tape are a great way to pass the time (or stories on YouTube, but simply listen, rather than watching, would probably be ok)
 
Van Johnston said:
My turn .. horseshoe tear. first symptoms Christmas Eve; surgery on Monday. Two procedures. Pneumatic retinopexy (the gas bubble) and cryopexy (freezing the wall of the eye).
Click to expand...

Van Johnston said:
update...new detachment at 3 o’clock position. Vitrectomy with new bubble yesterday, so starting over. Upside is vitrectomy went ahead and got rid of most of the detritus floating around in there.
Click to expand...

4 weeks since second surgery. Healing ok. The second procedure drastically changed the refraction in my eye though. Went from 20/20 corrected to 20/80. Waiting to get in to see my optometrist to see what he can do near term. Ophthalmologist said she normally recommends people wait 3 months for vision to stabilize before getting new prescription. But right now I’m not sure I am even legal to drive, much less fly.

Also have lost some of my peripheral vision in my lower field of view. Doctor said this may be permanent, or it may come back in time. You don’t realize how much you subconsciously rely on that peripheral vision. I notice it when I step off of curbs or go down stairs. Brain is learning I need to move my head now.

Oh, and the other side effect; the cataract is starting to form. Dr. estimates cataract surgery in 12 to 18 months.

But it is not life-threatening, and it is not loss of independence, so life is still good.
 
Update: new contacts on Monday to correct -2 diopter shift in injured eye. Back in the air this morning. 1.7 and 7 landings. Thank Congress for basic med.
 
Congrats Van Johnson! I too, have taken advantage of Basic Med, and have flown maybe 15 hours in the last 4-6 weeks, in our C-182. My retina remains attached (so far, so good). My next Ophthalmologist appt is on March 10th. Doc. indicated he’ll take the silicone out of my eye in early April, and replace same with saline. If in 5-6 weeks post saline op, everything holds in place, I’m probably out of the woods. At that point, it’s just a matter of IF I can get my vision back good enough for a 1st class medical, to return to work (Airline pilot). I am very happy for basic med. a “win”’for pilots, for sure!
 
Any update on any of your surgeries and vision outcome? I'm heading in for first surgery tomorrow - recommended scleral buckle for detachment, but unclear if it's better to go with vitrectomy for aviation medical (double vision, etc with scleral buckle).

Right eye had corrected acuity of 20/16, 20/30 uncorrected- no idea what to expect post surgery.
 
C130 Driver said:
Any update on any of your surgeries and vision outcome? I'm heading in for first surgery tomorrow - recommended scleral buckle for detachment, but unclear if it's better to go with vitrectomy for aviation medical (double vision, etc with scleral buckle).

Right eye had corrected acuity of 20/16, 20/30 uncorrected- no idea what to expect post surgery.
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There’s another similar thread somewhere with more details, but a summary of my history is…

1. First two repairs documented above.
2. Repairs induce cataracts much quicker than usual. Cataract surgery 7 months after 2nd vitrectomy. 20/25 or better uncorrected; wear reading glasses as needed.
3. When I went in for the cataract eval, dr said I had a natural one in the other that could come out now, or could wait. I opted for ‘now.’ Had cataract surgery on 2nd eye two weeks after first. Had a complication that…
4. Induced two retina tears in my good eye and two more trips to the OR which induced …
5. Growth of epiretinal membrane and distorted vision. All straight edges had sawtooth distortion. So back,to OR one more time.

all that over an 18 month period. Big picture, for first time ime in half a century don’t need to wear corrective lenses. I can read the clock when I wake up in the middle of the night. Screens and highway signs are hard to read even tho I am 20/25 and 20/30. I did get some glasses to help with the astigmatism, but I rarely use them.
 
azure said:
I had a complicated PVD about 3 years ago that resulted in a horseshoe tear, fixed using laser. I had a vitreous hemorrhage with it that recurred once after the surgery, but there was no further damage to the retina and I only had the one surgery. Not sure how common it is to require multiple surgeries; you definitely have my sympathies.
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@azure
I’m a bit freaked out with the idea of not being able to get my medical after a laser repair of small horseshoe shaped tear in the retina. This happened 2.5 weeks ago. It was treated with a laser within hours of its appearance. 2 follow up visits and the is no more tears or blood coming out from the vitreal hemorrhage. Blurry vision and floaters persist but I was assured they will dissipate. Looking through forums it seems you experienced something similar. Did you have any problem getting your medical next time around? Special Issuance? What was the delay? Sorry for all these questions.
 
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