Detached Retina?
Discussion
Father started to see flashing white in his left eye yesterday, that funny floaty stuff, and generally blurred vision. This was about 5pm, Being the workaholic type with a rather important job interview this afternoon he chose to ignore it. Anyway he gets home this afternoon and it hasn't disappeared, so he rang his doctor who immediately gave him an urgent note and told him to get to one of the 24 hour eye specialist hospitals, in this case near Central London. Just googled it and all the symptoms match this, and it warns that rapid treatment is vital. The doctor did say it could be something else that is less serious, but my mum didn't catch this when they were there. He is waiting at the hospital now, hoping for the best but I was wondering if anyone else has any experience of this? Just a bit clueless on the next steps, treatment etc.
Cheers Everyone.
Cheers Everyone.
JayPee said:
Father started to see flashing white in his left eye yesterday, that funny floaty stuff, and generally blurred vision. This was about 5pm, Being the workaholic type with a rather important job interview this afternoon he chose to ignore it. Anyway he gets home this afternoon and it hasn't disappeared, so he rang his doctor who immediately gave him an urgent note and told him to get to one of the 24 hour eye specialist hospitals, in this case near Central London. Just googled it and all the symptoms match this, and it warns that rapid treatment is vital. The doctor did say it could be something else that is less serious, but my mum didn't catch this when they were there. He is waiting at the hospital now, hoping for the best but I was wondering if anyone else has any experience of this? Just a bit clueless on the next steps, treatment etc.
Cheers Everyone.
He needs to be looked at. It could be as harmless as a posterior vitreous detachment, which happens to everyone, and will settle on it's own (google it). Or it could be slightly more serious and be a retinal tear, which will require laser treatment to spot weld down, so that it doesn't peel off any further, or it could be more serious and be a retinal detachment, which requires surgery to fix. Outcomes of surgery are mostly good, depending on how much retina has come off. Let me know what happens and where he is treated.Cheers Everyone.
968 said:
JayPee said:
Father started to see flashing white in his left eye yesterday, that funny floaty stuff, and generally blurred vision. This was about 5pm, Being the workaholic type with a rather important job interview this afternoon he chose to ignore it. Anyway he gets home this afternoon and it hasn't disappeared, so he rang his doctor who immediately gave him an urgent note and told him to get to one of the 24 hour eye specialist hospitals, in this case near Central London. Just googled it and all the symptoms match this, and it warns that rapid treatment is vital. The doctor did say it could be something else that is less serious, but my mum didn't catch this when they were there. He is waiting at the hospital now, hoping for the best but I was wondering if anyone else has any experience of this? Just a bit clueless on the next steps, treatment etc.
Cheers Everyone.
He needs to be looked at. It could be as harmless as a posterior vitreous detachment, which happens to everyone, and will settle on it's own (google it). Or it could be slightly more serious and be a retinal tear, which will require laser treatment to spot weld down, so that it doesn't peel off any further, or it could be more serious and be a retinal detachment, which requires surgery to fix. Outcomes of surgery are mostly good, depending on how much retina has come off. Let me know what happens and where he is treated.Cheers Everyone.
Thanks again.
JayPee said:
968 said:
JayPee said:
Father started to see flashing white in his left eye yesterday, that funny floaty stuff, and generally blurred vision. This was about 5pm, Being the workaholic type with a rather important job interview this afternoon he chose to ignore it. Anyway he gets home this afternoon and it hasn't disappeared, so he rang his doctor who immediately gave him an urgent note and told him to get to one of the 24 hour eye specialist hospitals, in this case near Central London. Just googled it and all the symptoms match this, and it warns that rapid treatment is vital. The doctor did say it could be something else that is less serious, but my mum didn't catch this when they were there. He is waiting at the hospital now, hoping for the best but I was wondering if anyone else has any experience of this? Just a bit clueless on the next steps, treatment etc.
Cheers Everyone.
He needs to be looked at. It could be as harmless as a posterior vitreous detachment, which happens to everyone, and will settle on it's own (google it). Or it could be slightly more serious and be a retinal tear, which will require laser treatment to spot weld down, so that it doesn't peel off any further, or it could be more serious and be a retinal detachment, which requires surgery to fix. Outcomes of surgery are mostly good, depending on how much retina has come off. Let me know what happens and where he is treated.Cheers Everyone.
Thanks again.
Mrs Big Al. had one of these a few years back, diagnosed at Worthing Hospital one Friday morning after having similar symptoms to your Dad. She was told mid day Friday to take her to Moorefield’s in London. She was told to take an overnight bag.
Got to Moorefield’s around 3ish by 5 she was told she needed surgery. This was to be undertaken at 8:30 Saturday morning.
She was offered local (awake during op) or general, she chose general.
Surgery was a success, she now had to stay in a prone position for 10 days
This prone position is a bit like being a sprit level once they repair the retina they partly refill the eye with gas so that the scar can heal in this gas environment. The repair must stay in the gas area so depending on where the tear is she had to keep the bubble below it by tilting head accordingly.
She was out Sunday morning and came back home to resume her prone position for the next 10 days, only 10 minutes breaks every hour.
Numerous eye drops had to be applied to a strict regime. I concocted an exel spreadsheet for this as she had 5 different type of drops in different quantities at different time of the day.
After the 10 days it was back to normal but being careful.
The Gas bubble dispersed over the next week or so.
About a month after surgery she had he first check up at Moorefield’s and then another a few weeks after that.
All has been well since. That was about 3 years ago.
HTH.
Got to Moorefield’s around 3ish by 5 she was told she needed surgery. This was to be undertaken at 8:30 Saturday morning.
She was offered local (awake during op) or general, she chose general.
Surgery was a success, she now had to stay in a prone position for 10 days
This prone position is a bit like being a sprit level once they repair the retina they partly refill the eye with gas so that the scar can heal in this gas environment. The repair must stay in the gas area so depending on where the tear is she had to keep the bubble below it by tilting head accordingly.
She was out Sunday morning and came back home to resume her prone position for the next 10 days, only 10 minutes breaks every hour.
Numerous eye drops had to be applied to a strict regime. I concocted an exel spreadsheet for this as she had 5 different type of drops in different quantities at different time of the day.
After the 10 days it was back to normal but being careful.
The Gas bubble dispersed over the next week or so.
About a month after surgery she had he first check up at Moorefield’s and then another a few weeks after that.
All has been well since. That was about 3 years ago.
HTH.
Big Al. said:
Mrs Big Al. had one of these a few years back, diagnosed at Worthing Hospital one Friday morning after having similar symptoms to your Dad. She was told mid day Friday to take her to Moorefield’s in London. She was told to take an overnight bag.
Got to Moorefield’s around 3ish by 5 she was told she needed surgery. This was to be undertaken at 8:30 Saturday morning.
She was offered local (awake during op) or general, she chose general.
Surgery was a success, she now had to stay in a prone position for 10 days
This prone position is a bit like being a sprit level once they repair the retina they partly refill the eye with gas so that the scar can heal in this gas environment. The repair must stay in the gas area so depending on where the tear is she had to keep the bubble below it by tilting head accordingly.
She was out Sunday morning and came back home to resume her prone position for the next 10 days, only 10 minutes breaks every hour.
Numerous eye drops had to be applied to a strict regime. I concocted an exel spreadsheet for this as she had 5 different type of drops in different quantities at different time of the day.
After the 10 days it was back to normal but being careful.
The Gas bubble dispersed over the next week or so.
About a month after surgery she had he first check up at Moorefield’s and then another a few weeks after that.
All has been well since. That was about 3 years ago.
HTH.
Pretty good description, but it might not get to that point, with any luck. Nowadays people posture for a day or 2, some old school surgeons do 10 days.....Got to Moorefield’s around 3ish by 5 she was told she needed surgery. This was to be undertaken at 8:30 Saturday morning.
She was offered local (awake during op) or general, she chose general.
Surgery was a success, she now had to stay in a prone position for 10 days
This prone position is a bit like being a sprit level once they repair the retina they partly refill the eye with gas so that the scar can heal in this gas environment. The repair must stay in the gas area so depending on where the tear is she had to keep the bubble below it by tilting head accordingly.
She was out Sunday morning and came back home to resume her prone position for the next 10 days, only 10 minutes breaks every hour.
Numerous eye drops had to be applied to a strict regime. I concocted an exel spreadsheet for this as she had 5 different type of drops in different quantities at different time of the day.
After the 10 days it was back to normal but being careful.
The Gas bubble dispersed over the next week or so.
About a month after surgery she had he first check up at Moorefield’s and then another a few weeks after that.
All has been well since. That was about 3 years ago.
HTH.
Big Al. said:
Mrs Big Al. had one of these a few years back, diagnosed at Worthing Hospital one Friday morning after having similar symptoms to your Dad. She was told mid day Friday to take her to Moorefield’s in London. She was told to take an overnight bag.
Got to Moorefield’s around 3ish by 5 she was told she needed surgery. This was to be undertaken at 8:30 Saturday morning.
She was offered local (awake during op) or general, she chose general.
Surgery was a success, she now had to stay in a prone position for 10 days
This prone position is a bit like being a sprit level once they repair the retina they partly refill the eye with gas so that the scar can heal in this gas environment. The repair must stay in the gas area so depending on where the tear is she had to keep the bubble below it by tilting head accordingly.
She was out Sunday morning and came back home to resume her prone position for the next 10 days, only 10 minutes breaks every hour.
Numerous eye drops had to be applied to a strict regime. I concocted an exel spreadsheet for this as she had 5 different type of drops in different quantities at different time of the day.
After the 10 days it was back to normal but being careful.
The Gas bubble dispersed over the next week or so.
About a month after surgery she had he first check up at Moorefield’s and then another a few weeks after that.
All has been well since. That was about 3 years ago.
HTH.
Again, thanks for taking the time to write that, it's really useful hearing real experience. He hasn't taken anything much with him I don't think, so if he needs surgery then I may need to shoot down there tomorrow at some point to drop some bits across. It's a bit of a sod if he does require surgery as his recovery period coincides awfully well with half term as he is a teacher Got to Moorefield’s around 3ish by 5 she was told she needed surgery. This was to be undertaken at 8:30 Saturday morning.
She was offered local (awake during op) or general, she chose general.
Surgery was a success, she now had to stay in a prone position for 10 days
This prone position is a bit like being a sprit level once they repair the retina they partly refill the eye with gas so that the scar can heal in this gas environment. The repair must stay in the gas area so depending on where the tear is she had to keep the bubble below it by tilting head accordingly.
She was out Sunday morning and came back home to resume her prone position for the next 10 days, only 10 minutes breaks every hour.
Numerous eye drops had to be applied to a strict regime. I concocted an exel spreadsheet for this as she had 5 different type of drops in different quantities at different time of the day.
After the 10 days it was back to normal but being careful.
The Gas bubble dispersed over the next week or so.
About a month after surgery she had he first check up at Moorefield’s and then another a few weeks after that.
All has been well since. That was about 3 years ago.
HTH.
968 said:
s
gathore said:
gathore said:
What causes this?
Get it checked properly pronto.
A while back I was playing basketball and was caught straight in the eye by an elbow. Didn't do anything about it straightaway but strangely black spots started appearing in my sight,
ignored it for a month but got really annoyed with it as it still hadn't gone away. Then decided to go to an optician to get it checked and was advised to go to the hospital
to get it checked out where I was referred to have an eye operation as they diagnosed a retinal tear.
Got it operated where they correct it with laser surgery after cutting your eye open. Don't worry once it's stitched up the stitches will dissolve you won't feel a thing.
A while back I was playing basketball and was caught straight in the eye by an elbow. Didn't do anything about it straightaway but strangely black spots started appearing in my sight,
ignored it for a month but got really annoyed with it as it still hadn't gone away. Then decided to go to an optician to get it checked and was advised to go to the hospital
to get it checked out where I was referred to have an eye operation as they diagnosed a retinal tear.
Got it operated where they correct it with laser surgery after cutting your eye open. Don't worry once it's stitched up the stitches will dissolve you won't feel a thing.
JayPee said:
968 said:
sgathore said:
gathore said:What causes this?
968 said:
JayPee said:
968 said:
sgathore said:
gathore said:What causes this?
Well it appears they were very busy at the hospital, and after waiting nearly 3 hours he has had to go as he will miss his last train otherwise. A nurse checked it and did some pressure tests (?) and didn't seem concerned enough to get him to stay, so he is going to the more local day clinic in the morning. I would have driven down there myself if needs be but he is already on his way back now so I guess it's just a case of waiting till the morning. Thanks all
JayPee said:
968 said:
JayPee said:
968 said:
sgathore said:
gathore said:What causes this?
Well it appears they were very busy at the hospital, and after waiting nearly 3 hours he has had to go as he will miss his last train otherwise. A nurse checked it and did some pressure tests (?) and didn't seem concerned enough to get him to stay, so he is going to the more local day clinic in the morning. I would have driven down there myself if needs be but he is already on his way back now so I guess it's just a case of waiting till the morning. Thanks all
Best of luck JayPee - My Mum had this in 2006 See here for some useful information
968 
Hope all goes well for your Dad - Mum still has the odd problem on occassion, but at her age that is only to be expected (72)
968 Hope all goes well for your Dad - Mum still has the odd problem on occassion, but at her age that is only to be expected (72)
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