Retina separation - anyone had it?

[Willie Trombone]

Title should read retina detachment.

It started with a floater or two last year and this year (last week) I started seeing weird bubbles and shadows in my right eye so I went back to the opthalmologist. This was Thurs morning at 9:30. He took one look and said he needs to operate later in the day so I was in theatre by 3:30pm. Home by 7pm with the op taking an hour and a half or thereabouts.
Apparently he has to peel the retina off the eyeball and reseat it after draining fluid and finding / 'spot welding' the leak source. They then pump gas into the eyeball chamber after draining the fluid and I have to sit face down /sleep face down while it heals with the first four days being critical. The gas keeps the retina plastered at the back of the eyeball while it heals and the fluid replaces the gas over the next week or two.
Talk about taking things for granted. It's like sleeping on the plane and and I'm not good at that lol.

Anyway, I'm amazed at how anaesthesia has moved on since the 80s. I was gone in seconds after the drip was connected and O2 administered. Next thing I know they're waking me with air in the theatre and in a bit groggy but lucid. No side effects or nausea like I remember but a bad case of gyppos all afternoon and night yesterday. Smecta helping today. I'm not sure if that was the hospital food before I was discharged (same day) or the anaesthesia.

Anyway, home again and pushing through the next few days with head down... Not fun but necessary. Shoulders are complaining.

 

[catman37]

My mom inlaw had this procedure 2 weeks ago for the second time.

This time they filled it with oil so that it last longer.

 

[|tera|]

Title should read retina detachment.

It started with a floater or two last year and this year (last week) I started seeing weird bubbles and shadows in my right eye so I went back to the opthalmologist. This was Thurs morning at 9:30. He took one look and said he needs to operate later in the day so I was in theatre by 3:30pm. Home by 7pm with the op taking an hour and a half or thereabouts.
Apparently he has to peel the retina off the eyeball and reseat it after draining fluid and finding / 'spot welding' the leak source. They then pump gas into the eyeball chamber after draining the fluid and I have to sit face down /sleep face down while it heals with the first four days being critical. The gas keeps the retina plastered at the back of the eyeball while it heals and the fluid replaces the gas over the next week or two.
Talk about taking things for granted. It's like sleeping on the plane and and I'm not good at that lol.

Anyway, I'm amazed at how anaesthesia has moved on since the 80s. I was gone in seconds after the drip was connected and O2 administered. Next thing I know they're waking me with air in the theatre and in a bit groggy but lucid. No side effects or nausea like I remember but a bad case of gyppos all afternoon and night yesterday. Smecta helping today. I'm not sure if that was the hospital food before I was discharged (same day) or the anaesthesia.

Anyway, home again and pushing through the next few days with head down... Not fun but necessary. Shoulders are complaining.

Sorry to hear man. That truly sucks. Not a nice thing to happen.
If it's any consolation, I had a tracheotomy in 2016. I've got the mark/wound up to today.
It healed without any pain or complications though.
I just did as instructed and was careful with it. So just be chill, calm and do what they advised.
Don't forget to eat, look after yourself.
Edit: (leave the phone, mybb, tech for a few days. Let your eyes rest).

 

[airborne]

Heal up soon!

 

[maumau]

Whatever you do, listen to your doctor and rest A LOT until you heal.

 

[RedViking]

Wow sounds hectic.

Not similar, but my mom has glaucoma. They installed a little pipe in each eye while she was semi-awake. The total procedure probably took 30 minutes. R60-70 000 later.

I'm just amazed at what these doctors can do.

 

[Milano]

Title should read retina detachment.

It started with a floater or two last year and this year (last week) I started seeing weird bubbles and shadows in my right eye so I went back to the opthalmologist. This was Thurs morning at 9:30. He took one look and said he needs to operate later in the day so I was in theatre by 3:30pm. Home by 7pm with the op taking an hour and a half or thereabouts.
Apparently he has to peel the retina off the eyeball and reseat it after draining fluid and finding / 'spot welding' the leak source. They then pump gas into the eyeball chamber after draining the fluid and I have to sit face down /sleep face down while it heals with the first four days being critical. The gas keeps the retina plastered at the back of the eyeball while it heals and the fluid replaces the gas over the next week or two.
Talk about taking things for granted. It's like sleeping on the plane and and I'm not good at that lol.

Anyway, I'm amazed at how anaesthesia has moved on since the 80s. I was gone in seconds after the drip was connected and O2 administered. Next thing I know they're waking me with air in the theatre and in a bit groggy but lucid. No side effects or nausea like I remember but a bad case of gyppos all afternoon and night yesterday. Smecta helping today. I'm not sure if that was the hospital food before I was discharged (same day) or the anaesthesia.

Anyway, home again and pushing through the next few days with head down... Not fun but necessary. Shoulders are complaining.

Good luck with your recovery, take it easy. If determined, what is said to be the underlying cause?

 

[Willie Trombone]

Good luck with your recovery, take it easy. If determined, what is said to be the underlying cause?

Mostly age and likely related to having astigmatism. Apparently the gel behind the retina gets a bit thin and then at some point the retina can detatch from the eyeball. Normally (no astigmatism) you have more of the gel. As you age, the gel gets thinner and can do this it seems. Sometimes it's just small damage where you see "floaters" in your vision or peripheral - which is what this eye started with last year but it seems I was unlucky to go next level.

Update: Opthalmologist fee: R20k, hospital fee (no overnight): R40k.
I don't see a hospital fee breakdown but that's some crazy $$ there for 1.5 hours op and admission at 2:30 / discharge at 7:30. Basically 5 hours in and 1h15 op.

 

[gboy]

My dad had it, oneday he just sneezed and then got a floater, a week after the OP he was fine.

 

[Willie Trombone]

My dad had it, oneday he just sneezed and then got a floater, a week after the OP he was fine.

That's promising.
Interesting that a sneeze brought it on bit I guess not surprising.

 

[gboy]

That's promising.
Interesting that a sneeze brought it on bit I guess not surprising.

He is a loud forceful sneezer, doc said its common also in people who hold thier sneezes in.

 

[|tera|]

That's promising.
Interesting that a sneeze brought it on bit I guess not surprising.

You have to rest your eyes dear sir.....
That said. Interesting about astigmatism. I also suffer from it, since a child (like really young). Eye worms, floaters etc.
My optometrists are adamant that I should wear my glasses, but I hate the damn stuff.

 

[Willie Trombone]

He is a loud forceful sneezer, doc said its common also in people who hold thier sneezes in.

I can believe that. Not healthy to hold them in. I had no idea it could be that much of an issue tho yoh...

 

[purple face]

I can believe that. Not healthy to hold them in. I had no idea it could be that much of an issue tho yoh...

how are you now? is everything ok with your eyesight?

 

[Willie Trombone]

how are you now? is everything ok with your eyesight?

Ja all back to normalish except for the cateract forming on the lens in the affected eye. Apparently it's expected and is a reaction of the eye to the gas that was used in the healing process for the detachment. I'll be back at the specialist in a couple of months and likely have the lens replaced next which is a lot less traumatic.

 

[purple face]

Ja all back to normalish except for the cateract forming on the lens in the affected eye. Apparently it's expected and is a reaction of the eye to the gas that was used in the healing process for the detachment. I'll be back at the specialist in a couple of months and likely have the lens replaced next which is a lot less traumatic.

can this happen to anyone at any age?