Bilateral Macular Holes

duckdown said...
i need to say that i have a macular hole in baoth eyes at the same time and although i have had surgery in one eye *unsuccessful( and am going through another one in the same eye i feel not enough is ever said about what you can do about not having an operation an just learning to live with the problem. so you cannot dirve read or watch tv so what there are loads of other things that you ccan do. i am not abeing negative and if you only have this condition in one eye then go for it but in two eyes (1 in 5 million) think again.
Toni Kelly said...
To Duckdown:Choosing to go through with any type of surgery is always a matter of personal choice. While macular holes rarely cause complete blindness they can very definately cause significant visual impairment and legal blindness. For many, I dare say most, not being able to read or drive is a condition not given into without at least trying to fix the problem. Certainly most of the viewers of this blog are interested in trying to fix the problem, which is why you are not reading more comments about dealing with the disability. You can probably find more information about coping with vision loss through macular degeneration support groups. I am guessing you won't find any blogs about it because it is so very hard for victims of that disease to see a computer screen!But let's talk about you and your particular case, bilateral macular holes. Yes, it is unusual to get a MH in both eyes, but not unheard of at all. There is no one who will argue that MH recovery is difficult, and to have gone through one without success must be extremely discouraging. You alone can decide what limitations you can live with as well as how much you can endure in an effort to retain functional vision. I would encourage you however to try to find the strength within you to give both eyes a chance. Do you think you could try to endure another two weeks of misery for the chance of good sight? You may sail through this time. Try to keep your spirits up, your figurative heart and your powerful brain hold the key to many of your physical defeats and successes! Let me know how your story goes, Duckdown.

New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology Convention

Recently I attended a convention in New Orleans that concentrated on retinal and corneal issues facing ophthalmologists today. Of course, my interest falls to the retina side, always has! There was much discussion regarding macular degeneration and the courses of treatment for this very destructive disease. There was a lot of talk about diabetic retinopathy as well. Ophthalmologists are gaining ground on both and it is very exciting for them to talk about. Very little was mentioned about macular holes. Why? Because not much is happening to change the course of treatment. The old SOP was to do the vitrectomy, maybe peel off a membrane covering the macular area then have all patients assume the face down position for at least two weeks. Now, the SOP is do the vitrectomy, maybe use some dye to visualize the membrane better before doing the peel, then have the patient remain face down for a week. Not nearly as exciting to discuss as all the new injectables available for those poor souls with macular degeneration. There are some surgeons using oil occasionally instead of gas. Benefit: positioning is not as essential. Con: You have to go back into the OR to remove the oil at some time down the road.

Here is the silver lining. Not much is changing in the treatment of macular holes because what surgeons are doing now works. It works! The success rate of the surgery is high, even higher if patient compliance is good.