Retinal Tear Laser Surgery

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I recently went to a retinal specialist because I was getting some flashes now and then and a lot of floaters and she told me I had a retinal tear that actually had tried to repair itself but said she would do the laser retinal repair surgery to prevent it from opening. The doctor acted as though it was very low risk and I went a long because I feared any vision loss and I didn't think there were common complications. Since the laser a few days ago I have this blank black/gray spot in my lower peripheral. Sometimes I see it more than others like in certain lighting or if I'm moving my head a lot. Sometimes it even just looks like a little light. I told the doctor about it and she says she thinks it's from the inflammation from the laser and should resolve but there might be a chance that the spot will remain but I'll only see it if I try to look for it and most people don't notice it. I notice everything however and I am only 24 and have good peripheral vision so it's a big deal for me. I was wondering if anyone had this experience and saw the spot and over time it disappeared. I saw a post in another forum that someone had the cyro procedure, saw what sounded similar to what I was seeing and it eventually disapeared. Any comments on experiences with this retinal tear laser would be helpful. Thank you.

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  • Posted

    Hi all 

    I was hoping you all could help.  I’ve noticed that my floaters in lasered eye have “changed”.  I get like a ghost vision, translucent clusters, and now ribbons.  I was checked a few weeks ago and was told all is good.  I noticed the term Vitreous Syneresis in my chart...any idea?  I’m worried PVD is coming...I’m 42.  

    I Crossfit a lot and was wondering if anyone was told to stop exercising, especially once PVD occurs?  PVD does stop at some point, correct? 

    Thanks for your help all 

    • Posted

      Hi Doug. My floaters have definitely changed since my first laser op. I would say they have decreased.I get stringy black lines, light dots and sometimes dark black dots. I am now getting them in the non  lasered eye but they checked that and said it was ok. I like you worry another PVD might happen. I’m sorry I don’t really know the answer to your question except that on the follow up to my 2nd laser op I was told I could go back to running and other exercise. I was specifically told not to excercise up to that point .
    • Posted

      My floaters over the last 8 months have changed.  All the docs tell me to come in if I notice any changes.  Well, my floaters change from stringy things to now I get circles, ribbons and bright dots in addition to ones I’ve always had.  My pupil stayed dilated for a long time and has come down a bit so maybe it’s that.  But, I’m frustrated bc I keep getting told everything looks fine yet I’m getting new types of floaters...I don’t get it 
    • Posted

      I can understand your frustration and worry. No one has really been able to tell me what the new normal is. To be honest I’ve learned more from this forum and the internet about what to expect. 
    • Posted

      Hi Doug

      Before laser I had a few black snake like floaters and a lot of flashes, after laser no more flashes but an addition of 4-5 circular gray jellyfish and after cryotherapy a shower of very small black dots. They said to stop exercising until next appointment which is on 5 Dec. No idea about the PVD, sorry. It is really frustrating and scary to live with these sad

    • Posted

      Hi

      Our symptoms seemed similar, was curious how you were doing now.  

  • Posted

    Glad to hear you’re vision is improving mike. I still have the static flickering and it is still very annoying but it has improved over time. I’m hopjng it disappears completely soon 
  • Posted

    I’ve been reading your posts with some interest as I underwent laser surgery 7 days ago for a retinal tear following a PVD with associated haemmorage just before Christmas.  I’m quite an anxious person when it comes to health issues and found the laser surgery extremely uncomfortable and painful. I’m assuming the tear was in an awkward place because they lasered me whilst using the sceleral indentation technique. I wasn’t given any further information after the lasering except that I had to lay flat on my back for 50 mins out of every hour for 7 days and to sleep on the opposite cheek of the affected eye. I returned for a check up today. I was told the lasering had gone well but they wanted to laser me some more. I asked the consultant if it had been lasered as well as he said why did I need more. He said just to give it another line of defence but then he appeared to contradict himself by saying I’d already been lasered with 3 lines of defence.  He agreed in the end I could wait another 7 days to see how it goes but assigned me back to bed rest until my next appointment on 17 Jan. I too have a blind spot in my lower left peripheral vision. I asked him about this and was told it will always be there until my brain recognises it or something. I also have a shimmering effect there too but he couldn’t answer what that was or whether it would go. I’m grateful to the NHS for what they’ve done and I appreciate they are so busy but I felt as if I had to arm myself with a list of questions to ask them when they could have provided me with perhaps an FAQ or an aftercare sheet after I had the laser surgery. I’ve obtained more info from these posts and general googling on the internet to try and understand what I’ve been and now going through. I just hope I’ve done the right thing by deciding to wait to see how the first lot of lasering pans out. 
  • Posted

    Hey Rose, checking to see how you are doing. I am 55 & have had good vision my entire life. Had a floater episode two years ago.. went to optometrist & he did multiple tests. Told me everything looked good. I went back for a routine checkup last month & was referred to a retina specialist. He found retinal tears on both eyes. I was shocked. Never really heard of this b4 so was very concerned.

    He did laser surgery & I go back in 9 days for a follow up. 

    In the meantime I ordered some “eyebright”

    Supplement for eyes. I am a LMT & was a chiropractic assistant for years.

    I believe our body can heal itself. 

    I am hoping for good news on my follow up from the laser treatment.

    I hope you haven’t had any other occurrences.

    This string of messages have really helped me. Thank you so much😊

    Stephanie 

    • Posted

      I too believe the body heals and haven't had my hol lasered- I am interested in what supplements you are using?

  • Posted

    Hey, I would like to share my Retinal Tear experience which I am facing these days.

    I have done Retinal Tear Laser Surgery just couple of days ago, I don't have any deference after Laser Surgery

    my left eye still not clear and my next appointments to the Consultant after 4 days. 

    is it take time to any improvement? Kindly advice!

    Thanks....

     

  • Posted

    Hi Guys

    Just wondering how everyone is doing? 6 months on from my two laser surgeries I still have the floaters but admit some days I don’t notice them but others they are really intrusive but the main thing I guess is I recognise them and I’ve not noticed any changes 

    be good to hear how you are getting on

    • Posted

      Hi

      For a while everything was ok but a month ago I experienced some new snake-like floaters. The retina doctor said that it was a typical reaction as the eye is trying to heal and in doing so the scar left after cryopexy is shrinking and bleeding. All ok now floaters-wise but on the last checkup my eye presure was higher than normal so I will have to do some more tests next month sad 

      Hope you are all well 

  • Posted

    Laser 2 weeks ago on both eyes.  Multiple holes, tear in left and lattice degeneration.  I'm one of the very small percentage that has this inherited trait.  i didn't know that until 2 weeks ago and I'm 49!  Experiencing constant fluttering in left eye now and I'm freaking out.  Appointment tomorrow for follow up from laser.  Some blind spots where tear was too.  Doctor didn't tell me about any of these possible side effects.  My anxiety is through the roof.  Thanks to everyone here posting about these same issues.  it's almost reassuring!

    • Posted

      Don’t freak out. I had the same treatment (which was scary) last November. It took about 3 weeks for things to normalize. I actually had Botox for the first time in January. (I’m 51)

      It actually caused some flickering in the eye that I have the tear in. Botox wore off and flickering subsided. Don’t stress. One day at a time. Do not run your eyes and if putting makeup on, do so lightly.

    • Posted

      I can appreciate how anxious you are...it’s totally normal to feel like you are. I was exactly the same five months ago when I was in the position you are now.  I didn’t have to have both eyes done like you, just the one. I wasn’t also told about the side effects too! In the end I went under a private consultant who totally restored my confidence because he was sympathetic, and explained in detail all the questions that had gone unanswered whilst I was under the NHS. I do appreciate not everyone can afford to go private though. But five months on the anxiety has subsided and although I’ve still got floaters and the little blind spot I now know that they’ll probably be there forever but as time goes on I’ll get used to them. I’m sure in a few months you’ll be in a better place too x
    • Posted

      Turns out appt is next week. I thought we scheduled for a week  after so he could clear me to resume running. Sigh...  thank you though!
    • Posted

      Thank you. I know it will take time to get used to the new “normal “
    • Posted

      I had 2 tears. I woke up with thousand small black dots. I went to my optometrist the next morning and he sent me to a surgeon around 1:00pm. He operated at 7:00am the following day. It was terrible. There was a large black looking fly in the centre of my vision on the right eye. After the weekend I seen him and he examined my eye. He said it will slowly go away. It’s 11/2 years and my eye is just blurry. Like I smudged butter over my glasses. I drive but it’s not great on bright days. I absolutely hate being like this. I’m going to try transitions in January. My other eye is starting to get cob webs this last year. I’m not that old to have this happen.
    • Posted

      I wonder why we notice floaters in unaffected eye after laser...weird but I had laser in right eye and noticed a darker stringy floater in left eye right after...it’s been over a year....just curious why this happens 
    • Posted

      Hi Yasmin, it is quite normal to feel anxious. The post-op period after laser for me was 3 months. I had laser in my left eye 9 months ago for a retinal hole and lattice degeneration. I have lattice degeneration in my right eye but will wait for laser in that eye. After laser, I had blurriness, a lot of floaters, flashes, a thin cloudy film that passes in front if my eye, blue field entopic phenomenon, visual snow, blinking dot lights. This has greatly improved but is still present. I notice the blind spot a lot less now than I did before though
    • Posted

      I have a few floaters. Spider like in my left eye. My right eye that I have had operated on has one large cloudy area. Good luck with your floaters. 
    • Posted

      Hi i see this post is old but i was wondering if you ever have had your right eye lattice treated with laser? I just had laser surgery on wednesday for a small retinal tear in my right eye from a PVD and i also found out i have lattice in both eyes as well so they repair the tear and the lattice in my right eye and they schedule me to laser the lattice in my other in a few weeks..

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