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.

Do you have a question?

I am getting a lot of verbal feedback on the website and the blog, but I am disappointed in the lack of comments posted. SO, I am going to try a new approach. If you have a question, you can ask it here as a comment. I will answer questions with a new post which shoud show up on the first page rather than responding as a comment, which shows up a little deeper into the blog. This way, I hope, your good questions will allow others to benefit from the answer too! Remember, if you are wondering about something, chances are someone else is too! So ask away. Toni

Please Leave A Comment!

Please don't navigate away before leaving a comment. Here is what you do: Click on the Comments of any particular posting to view them and to add your own. You will need to sign in, (I know, an inconvenience, but I promise no one is going to be Spamming you from this company). I do have the ability to monitor comments for content but I assure you, unless it is an unmannerly comment I will leave both positive and negative comments in place. (Boy I hope there are more positives!)Hope to hear from you!

Customer Feedback

I encourage past customers to give feedback regarding their experience with Kelly Comfort Solutions and its product offerings. I try very hard to give the very best customer service and I stand behind our products. I know you can't please all of the people all of the time, but I am hoping that most of my customers have been happy and will give a testimonial that is favorable!

Tips

I am often asked if there are any tips to getting through face down recovery. The best tip is to go into it with an "I can do this" attitude! No, it is not going to be easy but you will get through, probably not without a lot of stiffness and discomfort, but you will get through.

But I think what you are really asking for is more practical tips like:

stock up on straws to drink with

prepare some meals you will be able to eat with your hands or stab with a fork and bring to your mouth, rather than things like soup which will require you to lift your head

have any equipment you have rented or purchased set up and ready to go at least a day ahead of the surgery

get some books on tape for entertainment

Do any of you veterans have any other ideas?

Eye Position vs Head Position after Macular Hole Repair

Most patients are told of the importance of keeping their head down after macular hole repair, but more importantly you need to keep your eyes looking down! Remember the gas bubble is in your eye, not your head. You can have your chin tucked all the way to your chest but if you are looking at the floor five feet in front of you, or worse, trying to watch the TV, you are NOT in the right position! You can have your head at a more comfortable angle so long as your eyes are looking down at your belly button. Of course when you are laying down the the eyes should be looking straight down below you. For those who have been told you can lay on your side, try to turn your head as far in the direction your doctor has told you as you can.

You asked for it!

Welcome to my latest effort to reach out and offer reassurance, advice and my service to those about to go through vitrectomy surgery and the misery of face down positioning. I started Kelly Comfort Solutions, specializing in face down recovery equipment, in 2002 when I saw the need to do SOMETHING to help the poor folks coming in after surgery in such discomfort, not from the surgery itself, but from holding their head in a position that is sheer torture to the neck and back muscles. My company has grown from a local service to a nationwide distibutor of both rental and purchase items to help make the recovery at least a little more comfortable. No one is going to tell you they breezed through macular hole recovery because they had devices to help support the weight of their head for a week or more, but certainly I have been told by more than one person they don't know how they could have done without it. To be fair, others have also said they COULD have done it without equipment, but they are definately fewer in number. But that is not what this blog is about. I have had MANY people say to me " I have never heard of this problem before" and true, macular holes are not everyday problems like, say, cataracts. People want to talk to others who are going through, or better yet, have been through, the procedure and the fears and the recovery. That is what this format is all about. So, let's here from you!