Aesthetic appaearance after scleral buckle surgery
Posted , 29 users are following.
Hi all
I'm new here and had scleral buckle surgery for a retinal detachment 5 weeks ago now. I'm 20 and had a long standing retinal detachment in my eye for 2 years before it required surgery as it was getting worse. The operation was a success which I was relieved to hear and vision wise I am just suffering from a bit of double vision which I have been told is normal and should ease off over time.
However my main problem is with the appearance of the eye following this procedure. I went back to the hospital today as the bottom outer corner of my eye, where the buckle was fitted, has turned into a massive lump that is a greeny colour in appearance. Surrounding it is still very red and my eye is still not fully open. The doctor reassured me that this was normal, saying that the redness was due to a haematoma which would go down in time. This was a relief as I thought I had an infection. However the huge lump which is causing my bottom eyelid to bulge out and not be open properly, I was told, would remain that way. He said that the buckle was still visible but would become less visible as the white grows around it..however he said the lump would stay!
This has truly upset me as my eye is a completely different shape from the other and will remain like that as long as the lump is there. The doctor I saw was not a retinal specialist however he did ring a colleague who confirmed that this was not concerning. I am awaiting my 8 week check up where I will ask how much I can expect the lump to go down. But in the mean time im freaking out that my eye will never look normal again and am on here looking for others who can give me their own experiences of how their eye looked once it was fully healed. I would really appreciate this so I can get peace of mind/prepare for the permanent changes to my eye.
Thanks in advance
Abi 
1 like, 58 replies
Kk07041982 abs3147
Posted
Hi all! I'm a 37 yrs. old, healthy woman, 1 month post spur of the moment scleral buckle surgery to repair a tear that enabled fluid to enter behind my retina resulting in a partial detachment. I stumbled upon this forum as I searched for eye infection symptoms because I've began noticing slight eye discharge. If I'm perfectly honest, reading many of these comments has me somewhat worried. I'm thankful to not have double vision, droopy eyelid complications or any major discomfort when moving my eye but I'm just so worried that I'm not out of the woods.
I'm just concerned about what's to come because I'm a person who operates on minimum sleep, I know that causes strain on the eyes but I'm not sure of the result. Honestly, just frustrated that I have no control of what's going on with my eye.
Thus far my main concerns are the bottom right corner of my right eye having a lump, wondering if the shape of my eye will eventually change and having the buckle removed as I read somewhere that others have had issues with theirs beyond 5 years.
Will the buckle progressively change the shape of my eye? Can it be completed without retearing my retina? Are the benefits worth the risk or are there any benefits to removing it at all? Will it cause a droopy eyelid? Will this scar tissue ever go away? Will I ever be able to comfortably wear contacts again? No, my contacts don't reach the lump BUT my eye was super sensitive when I removed a lash. How long will this redness really last?
carenap Kk07041982
Posted
what I learned through this is we have to be so super patient. I'm 8 months post surgery now and I'm happy to report aesthetically everything is perfectly normal. I can wear contacts again but I don't wear them daily like I used to.
Redness lasted probably 4 or 5 months. There's now like a ridge all the way around my eye. So if I pull my eyelid back and look far to one side I can see this but no one else can see that.
You WILL get through this. And you will heal. it's a long slow process but you saved your vision! And that's amazing!
Kk07041982 carenap
Posted
Thank you so much for following up and thank you for this moment. To experience so much positivity and hope from a complete stranger genuinely moved me to tears.
carenap Kk07041982
Posted
it was a really hard time for me. I spent way too much time stressing and way too much time googling which only led to reading horror stories. add that stress to covid stress and I feel nothing but love for you. I wish you the very very best.
Ajaxcat abs3147
Posted
Hi, I guess we are all different when it comes to scleral buckles-it is still really very early days with your one. See what they say at your appointment and never be afraid to ask for another opinion on it. It takes a long time for everything to settle with a buckle, it's ever evolving weekly I found, something different happening as the weeks went by.
I had a buckle put on my right eye 24/12/2018 and you can see part of the buckle if I turn my eye to the right, the bulge of the buckle slightly working its way out of the white, and I may perhaps have to have it redone one day. Time will tell. Also can see a stitch if you look carefully on the left side. Realistically took at least 6 months to settle I found, eyesight, appearance of eyeball and lid etc. It's really not a speedy thing.....
Ajaxcat abs3147
Posted
Oops, just realised this is a very old thread!
joshuapryce1987 abs3147
Posted
The lump should go down over time.