flying and retinal detachments

[trishpen]

Hello.  I wonder if you can help.

I have thin tatty retinas, and an uncle and mother who have had retinal detachments.  I had my first detachment, in the right eye, some 15 years ago (successful laser treatment) , followed by one in left eye (successful laser and cryo treatment) 12 years ago,  then another in the right (successful laser treatment, but needed glasses to correct squint) some 6 years ago.  Then right eye went again some 4 years ago; laser treatment didn't work, but I then had a successful vitrectomy.  This was followed by cataract surgery in both eyes - wonderfully successful.  During these years I flew 2 or 3 return trips per year, mostly short but some long haul.

In April I flew a 2 hour flight , and two days later the right retina detached.  I had another - successful - vitrectomy.  After two and a half weeks the gas had gone, and I was given the OK to fly home, which I did a week later.  Another 2 hour flight - and three days later the right retina detached again, same eye, different location.  It was a tiny hole, but lasering didn't do the trick, so I am now holding my head in the right position as vitrectomy number three does its job.

My query relates to flying.  Both the last two surgeons have assured me that there is no statistical correlation between flying and detachments, but right now I don't want to get on another plane ever - which is going to make for a lot of problems.  Is anyone aware of any relationship between flying and retinal detachments?  I don't know if the pressure changes might have an effect?

I'd be very grateful for any ideas or advice you could give me.

[trishpen]

No, I really don't do heavy lifting.  I first saw the last detachment (a fixed grey area in my eye that caught the light wrongly)  after a morning just pottering around followed by lunch with a friend - really nothing untoward.  

Trishp

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

Unrelated to flying.  Did you do any heavy lifting?  That may caused a redetachment.

Dr. O.