Thursday, July 30, 2009

What vision can I expect after surgery?

I'm schedule to have surgery 8/10 and have gotten the support system to make the 1 week initial recovery time go by much easier. What should I expect after the surgery is over? I presently have a slight central vision blind spot and remaining vision is very blurry. Anonymous

Dear Anonymous:
Visual outcome after macular hole repair is difficult to predict. Generally your surgeon would not offer the surgery if he/she did not think there could be visual improvemnet. Macular hole repair will only affect the central vision; if your peripheral vision is blurry due to another disease process it is unlikely to get better. For those that get the "pinched together in the middle" effect on the Amsler Grid, it is hoped the distortion will be significantly decreased. Those with a full thickness hole causing a central scotoma or blind spot can hope for central vision to return, ideally to a well functioning level. So many factors determine what any individual outcome will be - your surgeon should be able to provide you with his best estimate.

And don't forget, your vision will be WORSE immediately after the surgery due to the bubble. You will start to note improvement aas the bubble reabsorbs.

Toni Kelly
Kelly Comfort Solutions

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Macular Hole after previous surgery

Hi I will be having this procedure done on September 2. As you can imagine, I am very nervous as I have had problems with my eys for many years. I am 57 and after I gave birth to my daughter in 1983 I was diagnosed with a detached retina in my right eye. A scleral buckling and sponge procedure was done at that time. In 1996 I developed cateracts in both eyes and had lens implants. Now I have a MH in my right eye. I can see ok at a distance, etc. but cannot read well unless I close that eye. I am so nervous about my eyesight. If the procedure does not take, will I lose what eyesight I have now in my right eye and will this procedure, in fact, make it worse? Thank you for any input.
Anonymous

Dear Anonymous:

The surgery to repair your macular hole will be a little different from the procedure you had done years ago for the detached retina. Of the two surgeries, and of the two problems for that matter, the macular hole and its repair is the preferable. It is still a delicate surgery but success rate is very high. The fact that you have had previous retinal surgery makes you different from the majority of MH repairs and your retina surgeon would be the best source of information about what your particular prognosis is. Unless you have the unfortunate luck to get an infection in the eye it is very unlikely that your vision would get any worse even if the surgery does not repair the hole. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Toni Kelly
Kelly Comfort Solutions
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