Surgery for floaters

[Tink58]

My mother had surgery to remove floaters on Aug 7 in her left eye. The eye hemorrhaged, and she has had no sight in the eye since. Doctor told her it was just the blood and would clear up in about a week. She was having head pain when tilting her head or bending over back to her ear. She returned for check up on the 14th. Doctor says then, that it looks like she may have had an eye stroke some where along the line. He sent her to her heart doctor to check arteries yesterday, and they said everything was clear.
My family all want her to get a second opinion. Is it possible the blood will clear and she can regain her vision? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Tink58]

Oh wow, ok thank you! I will tell her. :)

[Tink58]

She said he did speak to her on the importance of taking care of the eye. Again we were on the phone, so didn't get all those details. She was in Nashville. I will tell her of Dr. Charles.
Thank you again for your continued support. I will be on her to take care of her other eye. It just stinks. My mom is a "young" 77 year old woman, who likes to go and do. She will learn to live with it, but I will continue to worry. Driving with one eye is not the best of scenarios.

[JohnHaganMD]

Yes but I fear it will be the same.  Be sure you get comments on the remaining sighted eye from the consultant today.  BTW if she saw Dr. Steve Charles in Memphis he is among the best in the world and no further consultations would be necessary. Concentrate on keeping other eye healthy.

JCHMD

[Tink58]

Update:
Hi Dr Hagan. Well my mother went to the retina specialist in Nashville, TN this morning. She did not receive the news I was hoping for as you might imagine. Now I have only talked to her on the phone, so not sure I am explaining this correctly. From what they explained to me, the DR said the optic nerve is dead. That the artery collapsed? He said this happens to older people sometimes and could have happened with or without the surgery. He said her sight will not return. He said this is a rare occurrence and she just happens to be that "one in a million". I am so sad and angry.
Do you think she should seek another opinion from a DR of her own choosing? Thank you.

[JohnHaganMD]

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[Tink58]

For sure I will tell her that, thank you!

[JohnHaganMD]

Thanks for the follow up. Remember the non-injured eye is her most important eye. Do ask all the consultants about its help and what can be done to keep it healthy her whole life
JCH MD

[Tink58]

Thank you for your concern Dr. Hagan. Thank goodness all the tests on the heart have come back showing nothing abnormal! She still can not see out of the eye however. She is saying now though, that she thinks she may be able to detect a tiny bit of light coming in. She has an appt. next Wed with the other retina specialist. However, we have recommended she go to another specialist of her own finding rather than one suggested by her own doctor.
So we'll see. I will let you know what they say. :)

[JohnHaganMD]

Best of luck.  Let us know how it turns out if you get a chance
JCH MD

[Tink58]

Thank you!

Well as they say, " It's all fun and games till someone loses an eye"!

[JohnHaganMD]

Okay best of luck. I just took some flack on another post for not giving full bore recommendation for doing vitrectomies to remove floaters that are annoying.  I have lots of floaters including a huge Weiss Ring. I'm happy to live with them.

JCH MD

[Tink58]

Btw just googled her Dr's name and he does show as a retina specialist.
:)

[Tink58]

Hmm that is a good point. I am going by what my mother told me. She is being referred to a place 2 1/2 hours away, as the DR said there is no one in our area. Thank you again for your advice and quick responses.

I myself have lots of floaters. Think I will just live with it. ;)

[JohnHaganMD]

One would expect that an ophthalmologist doing surgery to remove floaters WOULD be a retina surgeon.  Comprehensive ophthalmologists have no business doing vitrectomies to remove floaters.

I can't answer your other questions about heart tests.

JCH MD

[Tink58]

Thank you for your response. Yes I see from researching vitreous surgery is quite controversial. Only wish I had known this before she opted this choice.
She now has been told she has to have immediate test on the heart to check for blood clot. Can all this be caused from the surgery?

The eye surgeon is making an appt with a retina specialist.

I am so worried....

[JohnHaganMD]

I sometimes take a lot of heat and grief from posters here because I do not recommend vitreous surgery to remove floaters. This is why.  Get a second opinion ASAP from a qualified retina surgery.

Better start working on trying to keep the remaining eye as healthy as possible.

JCH MD