Wet Macula Bubble Insertion Surgery

[elcaringo]

Due to cancer, (CLL), my blood platelets went down to 17 causing massive bleeding in my right macula.  I'm told I'm lucky as platelets that low can cause massive bleeding from any organ or orifice in the body.

My Oncologist immediately put me on lare doses of Prednizone for three days to get the platelets up to 138 so the bubble surgery could be performed.

I had two bubbles inserted through out patient surgery in a hospital three days ago.  I was awake but sedated and only felt minor pain. I've been instructed to keep my head at a 45 degree angle for at least three weeks to allow the two gas bubbles to join and push the blood out of my vision.  I'm finding that angle very hard to accomplish.

The effected is eye pretty much useless.  I can on discern light from dark.  It's vision is pretty much like opening your eye under water.

The eye is pretty ugly right now and mostly closed.  I'm sure that's because the surgery is only three days old.

Can anyone give me a feel of what to expect in the way of recovery and when?

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

Well done. thanks for the follow up. Take good care of yourself.

JCH MD

[elcaringo]

Dr. Hagan, my vitrectomy above was a success. I subsequently had cataract surgery and my vision went from 20/400 to 20/50 in 2 days. My eyesight today was 20/40, pin-holed to 20/25.

Thanks, Elcaringo

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

The prognosis is guarded. That means this is an ultra-serious problem and even with the surgery your eye may not recover anything like normal vision. It will probably be many months perhaps even as long a a year before the final result is known.

Your platelet counts are in it may have been 17,000 and now its 138,000. The numbers you gave at least in the USA are in the 10,000 to 100,000s.

JCH MD