Retinal Tear Laser Surgery

If you have very dark brown eyes they take longer to dilate and stay dilated longer,but 6 days seems an incredibly long time. Can you phone your doctor or consultants office to get some advice?  The iris is a muscle, so to have a muscle not recover from anaesthesia doesnt seem right.

I totally understnd your anxiety Michelle, I am exactly the same. I wasnt even given much advice regarding after care, and had to glean what I could from the internet.  There is very little on the after effects of laser for a retinal tear, and even less on what to do or not do as the case may be.  I was just told not to stretch or bend !  That was it.  I am confused as it says you will still have floaters even after laser surgery, yet, it also says to report any increase in floaters! I find it so confusing .  I was out today for a walk and couldnt even appreciate the beautiful day as Im so anxious about my eyes .  No one seeems to appreciate how worrying it is.    I got my review appointment but its not for another four weeks so I will just have to wait it out.  No one seems to be able to advise on post treatment care so I just pray I am doing everythign I should be doing or not , as the case may be.  I look after my two little grandchildren once a week and its hard not to be bending or lifting !  You take care.  Best wishes.

Bless you, do you know what caused your tears?

I'm dreading going for my check up in july to see if mines got any worse.

I've never heard of treatment preventing tears?? Is this just something available in the US?

Thank you hol1983, no idea what caused it , back this morning as I was stressed out second guessing why I had more floaters, got a thorough eye examination , and had to lie down and he did some other sort of test to with a very bright light, as well as the standard slit lamp ones.  All ok and the scar from the laser is healing well and no further tears so I am much happier tonight.  Thanks again for taking the time to reply to me, I really appreciate it and it makes me feel not so alone in this .  Blessing to you too.

Hi-

My tears are caused because I have thinning of my retina due to being very nearsighted. What actually caused each individual tear is unclear. I will say I started lifting weights at the gym which may have contributed.

I should say that the preventative procedure will not prevent more tears but it will prevent the tears from impacting my vision because they won't be able to get beyond the laser scar. I see the retina specialist in two weeks and I'll find out more then.

I do share the feeling of others that I think about it all the time and worry that it's going to happen again. I still have a lot of black raindrop floaters that seem to come and go. I get super nervous and can't figure out whether they're the same floaters or new ones. Anyone else have this experience?

Hi Michelle, that was my concern too, wheter the floaters were new ones or the same, unfortunatley I am no wiser but at least yesterday at the clinic I was reassured there were no more tears.  Its a stressful situaton and I too get quite upset by it all.  Sending gentle hugs to you .

Hi

Not sure that this helps but I asked my retina specialist and opthamologist about "knowing what is a new flaoter" looks like...they said to look out for a bunch of floaters all at once...like a snow storm.  I had three small tears in right corner with partial detachment and had laser surgery to but up a fence around tears about 4 weeks ago.  Everything is going well...but I like many of you worry about floaters, about additional tears.  

My right pupil is slightly dilated 4 weeks later and unfortunately, there is a chance that it will stay that way...oh well, could be worse.  Best of luck to all of you 

That's exactly how I am. I don't remember having the floaters before the test was identified. But now I think it's just because I am looking for them. I also have no idea what a flashing light would be like. So think all the time I wonder if that was one. I think once you've been told about it, you can't ever really forget. Just have to kind of try and get on with your life.

My aniexty had got so bad about it, I keep having panic attacks with the slightest change thinking something is going to happen.

For me, the anxiety & panic is worse even than the eye problems. I have the same issue with lattice degeneration & a hole in the retina in my left eye. The hole was discovered 7 years ago now so has been there at least that long without any further holes or tares developing. However, I recently developed visual disturbances including an increase of floaters and constant flashing lights. This was diagnosed as a PVD & now they are talking about possibly wanting to laser the longstanding hole as a preventative measure. Having read this discussion, I'm now unsure whether this is something I want. Since my dad had a retinal detachment that was left too long to be treated, I have heightened anxiety about the whole thing. The ongoing symptoms are like harbingers of impending doom! My thoughts & best wishes are with everyone on here as it's a horrible thing to have to deal with x

Hi Cara

i totally agree. Did you have anxiety before all this happened. How strange we seem to have the same thing. How come you didn't have treatment when they found the hole. I haven't either and was interested to hear you are the same. What are the flashing lights like? Are they really obvious and what colour are they. I keep thinking I'm having them all time but think I am paranoid. What's aPVD? I'm a very natural person so never take medication or surgery unless it really is the last option. 

I really hope you're okay. It's lovely to speak to someone in the same situation as me. Are you longsighted? What happened to your dad, has he lost his vision, I hope not x

I've always suffered from anxiety, but never as badly as I do now with this eye problem. I too am reluctant to take medication for anything though, so just try to manage it all as best I can. I didn't have the treatment when they initially found the hole because they advised me that a hole is considered to be low risk for retinal detachment, in comparison to a tear. They explained it as being kind of like wallpaper; if you have a hole then it's unlikely that the wallper will fall down, but if there's a tear then it may start to come down. The flashing lights are very obvious, you would definately know if you had them. Rather than being a specific colour, it's more like a constant vibration in your vision, which is worse in certain lighting. When my eyes are closed, and more so in the dark, they are coloured and usually a white or yellow but sometimes blue. This is very irritating when trying to get to sleep! The PVD is when the jelly at the back of the eye detatches from the retina and floats around. This casts shadows on the retina, which leads to the flashing lights and constant floaters. I also have what looks like a crack in my field of vision in the right eye, which I have been told I will 'get used to'. Many people experience PVD at some point, although usually at an older age (I'm 29). When the jelly pulls away from the retina, it can cause retinal tears so it needs to be monitored. I have a connective tissue disorder, which is genetic, and this is the reason for the weakness in my retinas. My dad lost the sight completely in one of his eyes due to a retinal detatchment. It could have potentially been repaired to prevent this if he had accepted treatment but, unfortunately, he has quite bad mental health issues and I think this prevented him from dealing with it properly when it happened.

Try not to worry too much about your hole, it really is much lower risk than a tear. Mine's been there for years without causing any retinal detatchment. It's good to get your eyes checked regularly though, just to be safe and put your mind at rest. And, of course, if you experience any sudden changes in your vision just go straight to a&e to get it checked over. xx

Cara

I had repair to retinal tear on boxing day therefore had to wait until 28 december to have the repair.

I totally know where you are coming from suffering anxiety. My consultant told me i was a worrier, after going back three weeks after the treatment. I had nothing to worry about. I have been left with floaters and have been informed to tell my brain they are not there, can you believe it!

I am so sorry your dad has lost his sight in one eye and some consultant should have thought carefully of his issues. This will compound your state of worry.

My jelly surrounding the retina has turned to liquid, which results in a wobbly eye. However i am 66 years old therefore much older than yourself. Take care

Hi Judith,

?Did you have laser treatment to repair the tear? It must have been very worrying for you having to wait several days for the treatment. The floaters are so annoying aren't they. I find it's hard to pretend that they're not there because they serve as a constant reminder of less-than-good eye health. I just keep trying to remind myself that I'm fortunate that I can still see.

?What's a wobbly eye? That doesn't sound at all good!

?Take care, I hope you don't have any more eye problems in future. x

Hi cara

Yes when you are told to tell the brain the floaters are not there it is easy to say, because you do fix your attention onto them. You are so right when you say it is a constant reminder of less than good eye sight.

I too try to tell myself how fortunate in that i can see, on good days.

My wobbly eye is a result of the jelly surrounding the retina that has turned to liquid, there they is nothing holding the eye, hence when travelling in a car i get the feeling the eye is moving. However i can tell my brain its not happening!!

A lot for my brain to cope with i think.

Take care

It's an impossible situation really beacuse, as much as you want to learn to ignore the floaters, you also can't help fixating on them and worrying that they might be new ones as this could mean further retinal tears/detachment.

?I think this is what is slowly happening to the jelly in my eyes. Some of it is detatching from the retina now and eventually it will all turn to liquid. The wobbly sensation is not something that I will look forward to, I think it would make me avoid things that set it off. Still, I guess we have to learn to live with whatever we are dealt and it could always be worse. As for me, I'm going to put my focus into overcoming, or at least learning to manage, the anxiety because, as they say, worrying just means that you suffer twice!

?All the best x

Hi

Hopefully you will not suffer with the retinal jelly turning to liquid, as you are very young for it to happen. I have spoken to friends who have leaks in the jelly, but it takes many years to turn to liquid. I really hope this will be the case for you. I try to look at the positve side many are managing life threatening illness. Also like your dad he lost the sight in one eye. But it is good to be in bed in the dark so you can not see the blooming floaters. Take care and be kind to yourself.

Dear cara

How are you getting on? How are you coping with tbe floaters? I went away for a few days and so far so good i found i

Did not have too much trouble with the wobbly eye, but drove everyone mad as i talked all the time.

I have been wondering how things are with you. Have you had any further checkups. The floaters are so annoying and driving fills me with dread. I feel my life has changed such a lot and i have to admit i never fully appreciated how some people have suffered, as we are now.

Best wishes

Hi Judith,

I hope you had a nice time away. I've not been too bad, just trying not to get worked up about the floaters as much as possible in the hope that I'll maybe notice them less that way over time. You can never stop noticing something for as long as your anxious about it, but overcoming anxiety is difficult isn't it.

I completely relate to what you say about never fully appreciating how some people have suffered. I have been thinking exactly the same thing recently. I think that's the most positive thing I can take from this experience, that it's made me more aware and compassionate.

I have a checkup at the eye hospital on June 7th, so will wait until then unless my symptoms get suddenly worse. The worst part of this is how it makes normal activities difficult or impossible, as you say with your driving. I'm not a driver myself, but I can relate in the sense that I used to enjoy exercise but now I'm too frightened incase I cause problems with my eyes. I used to like reading too before bed, but I avoid that now because it draws my attention to the floaters and flashing. I suppose I need to find new hobbies instead.

It must be so frustrating that they can't do something to stop the wobbly eye. It seems like there's a lot of eye symptoms they can't do anything about. It's a lot to get used to isn't it.

All the best x

Hi cara

I too have my checkup in june. Sometimes i feel my floaters are getting better, then i realise they are not, and on bad days they seem more noticeable. I agree medical treatment seems hit and miss in this country. I have a friend in the usa and she tells me they would have operated for the floaters, however when i asked about the operation here, the consultant said it was too much of a risk. So dont know what to think.

All the best

Hi Judith,

I was also told that the operation to remove the floaters was too much of a risk. I wonder if it's more of a cost thing in truth though, given that the operation would be offered in the USA. I too have good days where I notice the floater less, but somehow this makes me more anxious when I notice them again and I start wondering if they are new ones (and therefore a potential tear). I hope your checkup goes well, it's a little while longer to wait yet isn't it but this year seems to be going by ever so fast.

All the best x

Hi Cara

I too wonder if the floaters are new, i have a very good optican and will always check for me, may go tomorrow eye feels like an alien today, also i like to read in bed. I now have audio books on my kindle, only problem, i tend to fall asleep and it continues to play. I agree i too think the op for the floaters have to do with cost. Maybe we could raise funds and go to the USA.

Best wishes

Hi Judith

Yes, surely if the operation was too much of a risk then it would be too much of a risk wherever you live. I think it might be something to look into if the floaters don't go away over time. They do say that our brains are supposed to get used to these things and then when that happens, we will stop seeing them. I just wonder how long that's supposed to take. I think because they move around, this is less likely. I have a crack like thing down one eye, which stays in the same place and over the weeks I have been noticing this less and less. It's still there, but it doesn't get in the way as much as it did at first.

I might try the audio books, that's a good idea. Somehow, I feel it won't be the same as reading but I can't knock it until I've tried it I suppose.

Take care x

Hi Cara, been following your thread with interest. Thought I should just comment on a few of your concerns. I am going to be very honest and forthright with you as I have considerable experience of many of the issues discussed.

Any treatment on the retina whether it be a tear, hole or detachment leaves side effects.

One of the common is floaters. These rarely go but do fade in time. Sometimes as the vitrious jelly moves with age the floaters also shift position.

The brain does not actually make them disappear in time. What does happen is that over many years you come to accept them and then you will go many days without realising it is there. But when you try and read in bright light or go for an eye appointment this nasty looking thing ends up blocking your vision. The sooner you can come to terms that it is here to stay the quicker you will get over the anxiety.

The alternative to not having treatment is almost certainly loss of vision.

Flashing white lights tend to go after about a year after an operation.

The jelly that has the floaters can be removed but it is risky as you are further traumatising the eye with intrusive procedures. In the event that the floaters impair your vision completely they will perform this procedure.

Remember in the USA it is very different as the eye consultant gets paid handsomely for any operation they do, by way of the patients insurance. However that does not make it the right choice as you have to weigh up risk v reward.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Mike :-)

I have been doing a lot to combat my anxiety recently and accept the situation. Slowly but surely, I am starting to feel a bit better. I'm trying to remind myself everyday to be greatfull that I have vision and this does go some way towards switching my thinking to a more positive frame of mind.

I appreciate your reply. All the best x

You have the right attitude Cara.

I was diagnosed with lattice degeneration at 16. I had it checked as my father lost his eye due to a detachment. Unfortunately the year started at the centre and tore down the middle making it impossible to put back.

At 30 I had cryotherapy on both eyes to strengthen the retina. That left me with floaters and one horrible looking one in the right eye. Took me years to get used to it as it kept getting in the way of my reading. Sometimes I would play with it, meaning I would look at the ceiling and move my eye and watch it go flying by lol.

25 years later my good friend is still there but unless I concentrate on it or go for an eye test I don't really take much notice.

Last week I suddenly saw back lines like ink flowing into my eye. Five mins later it went cloudy. Got it checked out and found it was bleeding from a new tear,

They used a laser on it there and then and now I have even more floaters

Sounds like you have really been through it with your eyes. Do you have a genetic condition which affects eyes? I have sticklers syndrome so there's lots of eye problems in my family.

How did you find the cryotherapy procedure? I was offered this many years ago as a preventative measure, but was unsure about it so didn't go for it as I had no eye symptoms at the time and I was too young to really get my head around it all.

A while back I saw an article which said that scientists are working on artificial retinas, so hopefully one day we can benefit from this.

All the best x

Hi Doug, can I ask if your pupil is still dilated?

Hi Mike

Yup. Still is. About one time the size of other pupil. Was told a week ago that it will take some time but it should get back to normal size. Have you experienced this?

Thanks

Hi Cara,

I am glad I had the cryo as without it I am sure I would have had a detachment. This could still happen but it is less likely. The problem with a detachment is there are no guarantees it can be put back especially if it tears badly or there is a delay in treatment.

There are side effects with all these treatments and some will stay for life eg floaters

However it is again risk v reward scenario.

Mine has essentially stayed strong for 25 years apart from a tear last week which hopefully the laser has put right. Funnily enough it happened in one of the 3 areas where they did not do cryo on my right eye. The left was done completely around the circumference and the doctor said it still looks strong X

Sounds like it has done you good then. I have been reconsidering recently so perhaps I'll have the cryo at some point. Is it a very uncomfortable procedure? Maybe they could knock me out so I would be oblivious. My dad had a retinal detachment in one eye a few years ago now and it was left to long to be repaired, so it all seems a bit more real these days, that these things can actually happen. X

Hi Doug,

Yes I had cryotherapy and afterwards one pupil stayed enlarged. When I went out in the sun it made it very difficult. The doctor said that it would improve but may not go back to normal.

I decided to do some pupil exercises rightly or wrongly.

I got a torch and shone it in my eye repeatedly taking it away and then putting it back. Did this for about 5 mins twice a day. By day 3 the pupil was working again. I think I forced the muscle to contract and exercised it. This is not a medical procedure but my own but thought it worth mentioning

Hi Cara,

I think the main thing you need to consider is the risk of a detachment. If the doctors advise cryo to strengthen a weak retina then you need to seriously consider it.

The outside of my eye looked scary for two weeks after the cryo as they did both eyes and almost the full circumference.

You will be left with a few floaters. You need to weigh up the risk of a detachment against prevention (with a few side effects).

My fathers retina detached and ripped so he lost vision in one eye. Had he had cryo previously it would not have happened. Only your consultant can tell you how weak your retina is. If it tears it will bleed and that in its self can sometimes leave floaters. Tough one to call x

Thanks Cara

It's so lovely to read what others are going through. The flashing light thing, does make me paranoid as never sure if I've blinked too hard or just stared at the sun. The aniexty is so overwhelming. I had a vision check the other day and was a wreck in the waiting room! Hope you're still getting on okay x

Hi Michelle

So my eye finally came down from dilation after 5 months since laser surgery.  Since my pupil has come back to regular size, I've noticed more floaters.  When you said you had a new tear and noticed a flash and new floaters...was there a bunch of flashes?  What did they look like? We're the floaters clear or dark? 

Thanks 

How long after your laser did the pupil return to normal, including your exersizes? 

Type 1 diabetic 60 years, now 75 but very active, fit and never take drugs if avoidable. Had eye checks 3 monthly under doctors orders but due to COVID were cancelled. Had appointment but had phone call from hospital saying I was not a priority so delayed. Three days prior to apt had a blood vessel burst blocking vision. Had laser (11000 volts, 2 weeks later told would need more....9000 volts. Went back ad now told need more as laster was "hit and miss". Now have terrible throbbing behind both eyes but not due to go back for three weeks. Has caused blood pressure to rise and now doctor recommends BP tabls??? Should I have more laser treatment or will it make pain worse????