Reader Questions and Suggestions

Hi Kelly;
I have been referred to a vitreoretinal surgeon for a macular hole in
my left eye. However, I have this strong feeling that I have it in my
right eye as well. (I was diagnosed with macular puckers in both eyes
earlier this year). The vision problems in each eye are different --
left eye is blurry central vision spot; right eye is difficulty
focusing and what appears to be a "central floater".

I see a surgeon next Friday, but am curious. When both eyes are
involved, is surgery generally performed on both eyes at the same time,
or are they typically done at different times? Just curious. This
waiting to see the surgeon next week is difficult.

Linda


Hi Linda:

Vitrectomy surgery is done one eye at a time. The risk of post
operative infection is very, very small but if infection occurs it can
be devastating. It would be difficult to contain an infection to one
eye therefore, the benefits of doing a bilateral surgery, if there are
any, are far and away outweighed by the risks.

Linda, this is a very good question and one in which others may be
interested. May I post your question on my blog:
vitrectomy.blogspot.com ?

Toni Kelly

Exhaustion during vitrectomy recovery

Wondering if you have heard of any symptoms such as tiredness or foggy head during the bubble dissipatingstage. 10 days ago, I felt great and on the mend. Then, as the bubble started to divide, I noticed feeling exhausted. I feel like I'm not myself 5 weeks after surgery!The surgeon changed from my steroid drops to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory two days ago. I noticed aslight improvement but still exhausted.Ever heard of these symptoms in the late stages of bubble dissipation?

Dear Anonymous:
A feeling of nausea or seasickness from the movement of the bubble as it becomes visible is not an uncommon complaint. It sways in the eye with movement and gives the effect of looking out at an ocean from a boat. The complaint of exhaustion I am not familiar with however. You have done the right thing by mentioning it to your surgeon and I would advise you to continue keeping him or her informed. I would like to hear from anybody else who has experienced these symptoms of exhaustion or foggy head.

What if I don't get my macular hole repaired?

HI,I AM LITA. LAST JUNE MY EYE DOC. SAYS I HAVE MACULAR HOLE. i WAS READY TO HAVE IT DONE BUT BY THE TIME I LEARNED ABOUT THE RECOVERY PROCESS I CANCELED IT. i HAVE IT ON THE RIGHT EYE. THINKING ABOUT IT IS UNBEARABLE I DO NOT HAVE THE ENERGY TO HAVE MY FACE DOWN FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS OR SO. IF I DON'T DO IT WILL IT GET WORSE OVER TIME? what IS THE BEST THING TO DO. Any IDEA HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO HAVE IT DONE?

Dear Lita:

The recovery does sound worse than the surgery doesn't it? That's because it is! However, it is not unachievable and people do it everyday. Your fear is not unreasonable, but you need to understand that the hole will probably not get better on its own. There are cases of holes spontaneously closing, but they are unusual. I cannot give a definite answer to your question about whether your hole will get worse or not. It may get bigger, depending on its size now. Rarely, retinal detachments occur, a MUCH bigger problem that can affect your entire field of vision. Mostly, macular holes left untreated leave you with a dark spot right in the center of your vision which makes it very difficult, maybe even impossible, to read with the affected eye. Probably the best argument for proceeding with the surgery is that one day something could happen to your other eye that would leave your right eye your "better" eye. Would you be able to drive or read if you lost your left eye? Something to think about. The likelihood of surgical success is better with a fresher hole. Conventional wisdom says it is better to operate on a macular hole that is less than a year old.

As for the cost of the surgery, your surgeon's billing person should be able to provide you with the cash cost but most insurance companies will cover this type of surgery (though they may not cover the cost of the rental equipment).

Toni Kelly

Vitrectomy while pregnant.

Hi, I came across your blog and website while looking into vitrectomy recovery options. I am likely to have my second surgery this coming friday. I had a scleral placed a week ago that unfortunately did not completely fix my retinal detachment. My doctor said the vitrectomy with the gas bubble is the next option, one were we hoping to avoid. I am currently 21 weeks pregnant, and so of course the face down recovery is presenting some interesting issues since obviously my stomach is going to be in the way. I was wondering if anything that your company has may be useful for the recovery, maybe even cushions geared towards the obese that may be able to support and pad the stomach area in my situation. Thanks for any advice you can offer. ~Beth

Beth:

There is a product used for massages on pregnant women called the Prego Pillow. www.pregopillow.com The spa I went to used one when I was pregnant and it was pretty good. I have considered adding one to my product line several times. Good luck!
Toni Kelly