5 months post retinal detachment surgery

[cookie626]

I had a large tear and retinal detachment surgery June 4, 2012 (macula attached) 11 weeks with gas balloon and buckle, formed cataract and after balloon had cataract surgery in August then lazer surgery for a little film, 4 weeks ago faces started getting blurry, since it is soo much worse, it is like my vision is fading and I am in a cloud or fog all of the time, I have seen my retina surgeon and had a 2nd opinion, I can read the eye chart and drs say everything looks great but my vision continues to fade, I can't hardly see in dim light and my night vision is bad.  I also have developed bad floaters in my good eye which they continue to monitor.  I feel as if I am going crazy, they say everything fine but things just continue to fade.  Is this part of the healing process?  One dr says possible nerve damage or retina cells dying, other dr says that is not it.  I also see several black dots in my cloudy vision.  Some double vision in surgery eye.  I also get headaches every day.  Any suggestions, very concerned.  Thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[cookie626]

thanks

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

A large floater is the most likely.  That's really all I can tell you.
JCH MD

[cookie626]

since this is my "good" eye, do you still think it could just be a large floater or something else?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Sorry I thought this was the eye with tear. Blood in vitreous may last months and months.
JCH MD

[cookie626]

old blood in my good eye?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

If you had a RD it would have been picked up by your eye surgeon and WU Dept of Ophthalmology. I agree quit pushing on your eye. This could be a large floater or old blood that is out of visual axis and pushing move it central and you see it.

JCHMD

[cookie626]

had 3rd opinion at Washington U in St Louis, have a history of RP on maternal side, field visual test and an ERG were done, not RP, test said that I had such a bad tear and extensive surgery to eye that my vision may get worse or stabilize, I am 6 months post surgery.  My question for you is:  I continue to have bad floaters and flashes in non surgery eye, I also was washing my face and if I push on my eyelid I see a black blob in my peripheral vision.  It moves as I push on my eyelid.  I saw my DR and he said could be cluster of floaters, blood vessels and to quit pushing on my eye and he said that it is not a blind spot.  Could this be the start of a detachment and the veil starting to cover my eye?  Thank you for your response.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[frwbeach]

      3rd opinion is excellant advice even a fourth if needed. I struggled post detachment surgery on several fronts , went through  5 different docs  and in fact a specialist they called in from a large eye center said with the physical damage to my retinas and optic nerve  my vision wasnt' that bad. In any case I traveled a bit and got my 5 th or 6 th opinion I really lost track . But after he did a  macula pucker peel and vitrectomy along with some laser  surgery my vision has improved to 20-50   20-60   and perhaps some docs don't realize it but thats a HUGE improvement over 20-90- 20-120  Actually my left eye is the better one  and we feel my vision would improve with a vitrectomy even more  because he said all the tears and laser work causes floaters . He advised against any more surgery due to fragile retinas and leave well enough alone. All has worked out great for me- so it doesn't hurt to keep checking.   Good luck !!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Good luck
JCJH MD

[cookie626]

I am scheduled for a 3rd opinion, thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

This is as much as we can tell you in a "forum" and now you need to work through this with your ophthalmologists. Fuchs dystrophy is not a difficult diagnosis and is an unlikely cause and almost always affects both eyes.
JCH MD

[cookie626]

I also have bad aversion to glare

[cookie626]

thank you

[donnamarelle]

I may be way off base, but I had a similar situation to yours, although it all took a longer time span.  They finally discovered my problem was my cornea. A rare condition not many doctors recognize,  It is called Fuchs Dystrophy.  You can look it up on the web, you are probably fine, I just thought I would mention the possibility.

[cookie626]

thank you for your response, this just concerned me because it occurred in 4 to 5 weeks and seems to continue to decline.  I also have starbursts around lights and a "flicker" in the corner of my RD eye.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Reduced night vision and problems related to the eyes working together is not unusual post RD/Cataract surgery one eye and not the other. Floaters in both eyes especially RD eye is common. RD surgery does not get rid of floaters and may create new ones.

You could have macula swelling (edema) and/or epiretinal macular membrane (ERM).  A macular OCT would be necessary to diagnose these.

Your only options are to work through this with your present Eye MDs or get a third opinion. Note retina surgeons generally do not refract eyes or prescribe glasses.

JCH MD