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Eye Care Archive (Expert Forum)
Retina and macula setachment
Our Ask A Doctor Ophthalmology Forum is where you can post your question and receive a personal answer from physicians affiliated with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Retina and macula setachment
by djnm, Dec 09, 2006 12:00AM
I recently had an eye injury that resulted in tears in my retina and a retina and macula detachment. I had eye surgery that included a Scleral buckle, Vitrectomy, Membrane peeling, Endolaser, Cryopexy and the injection of C3F8 gas. After 7 weeks the gas bubble is still present but shrinking, I have 20/50 vision in that eye (I had 20/35 before the injury), and there is quite a bit of distortion which I am afraid could be from the buckle. I'd like to know if it is likely for my vision to improve significantly more. It also seems that 7 weeks is a long time for the bubble to last based upon the other posts I've read. Thank you
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-OD-MP, Dec 10, 2006 12:00AM
in June 2006 (all three surgeries were within 2-3 months of each
other.
I still have a bubble that appears only when I am on my
back and looking up.
Wondering when it will ever go away?
It is a long story, but I will try to make it as brief as possible, and still be able to give you the details that you
need to know to give you any peace of mind at all.
I had cataract surgery in July 2005. At the same time, I
had the crystalens implanted.
In 4 weeks, I told the doc that in the daytime I could see
10 miles. At night, I was night blind with that eye and the
halos were as large as the tail exhaust of a fighter jet.
He said that he had never had that complaint from a crystalens
patient before.
I let it go by, all the time not being able to see up close.
In November and December I went to him and said "somethings
got to be done". I can't see at night at my deer lease and
I fell over a log at dusk.
He started me on drops "that will keep the pupil constricted"
(to as small as a pin head). He never told me that there
was a risk of retina disconnection with the drops, or I
would have kept what I had and lived with it!
In four to five weeks of using the drops under his direction,
I lost my retina for the first time in April 2006.
I own a contracting business, with 22 employees, so I had to
get back to work asap. Started out using the phone and then
back to work full steam.
In July 2006 it disconnected again twice in two weeks.
I have had the gas bubble, the oil, and the discouraging
word from the surgeon that I don't have a chance for a fourth surgery, too much damage has been done by four major surgeries,
(crystalens being the first).
I have lost 50% of my vision in that eye, and it is all
because the crystalens has gone defunct now!
I am in the process of trying to file a lawsuit against the
doc that installed the crystalens for giving me the drops that
the second surgeon said "those drops will disconnect your retina,
don't ever use them"! Of course it was too late, damage has been
done.
I have read many of these comments from other people,and
I cannot understand why so many people have the same exact
problems, and yet the FDA has not been called to see if
these products may need to be recalled.
I want to tell you that the surgeon that put my retina
back together is, by far, the best in Dallas County and
maybe in State of Texas, and maybe in the USA.
I told him on the afternoon of the third surgery that I wanted
him to remove my eye, because my business was nearly gone, with
me not being there, except off and on.
My clients were beginning to look elsewhere to get their work
done, because the need has to be met by someone.
He told me that we had one more surgery out of this eye, and
he was going to do it!
The cost to my business in 2006 was devastating.
Thank God that we are recovering.
I am now faced with two major decisions.
1) Whether to risk blindness to have this piece of trash (he
called it something different and stronger)
removed from my eye and replace it with something else.
Just can't get a good feel about which one to chose.
2) Have to have cataract removed from other eye soon, because
it was my short distance eye after I had lasik surgery in 1998.
I, therefore have no long distance vision for driving.
You have a long battle ahead, we will put you on our prayer
list.
You and I both still have vision, no matter how
poor it may seem, and therefore, that is much better
than complete blindness. We have to keep moving forward.
Not easy to say it, but we have no choice.
Rent is due, bills to pay, etc.
The hope that I will provide you if to get another opinion
from another doc about what you need.
My doc's name is Dr. Syrquin in Irving, Texas.
I hope all goes well with you, because I, for one, am angry
about what I am going through, through no fault of my own.
Jeepman