Eye experts - torn retina

[Lefty]

I went for an eye test yesterday, I have pretty poor eyesight (-10.5 and -8) and wear GP toric contact lenses.

I've decided to stop wearing my lenses with a view to getting corrective surgery at some point so I booked an eye test with a view to getting some new glasses.

During the eye exam, the optician noticed a small tear in my retina, I've been referred to the eye hospital tomorrow to get laser surgey to repair the damage.

I've not had any symptoms, no pain, no loss of vision, no increase in "floaters", nothing that I've noticed. The optician reckoned that it was probably my astigmatism stretching the eyeball that has torn the retina but I've been rowing a lot recently and doing a fair bit of weight lifting, trying to get fitter. Optician says that this could have caused it too.

He said I was lucky to have gone in for a eye test, it could quickly have become completely detached (which is bad apparently, who knew?)

What he didn't know was whether or not it would affect my chances of successful corrective surgery in the future or if it would likely happen again (assuming that it was the astigmatism that caused the tear).

The thing is, I had no symptoms, I had no knowledge that anything was wrong. Would I have suffered any symptoms before my retina detached? Or would I just have gone blind in one eye all of a sudden?!

[K77 CTR]

Retinial detachment has a higer incidence in people who are severly short sighted.

Symptoms are: flashing lights, floaters and as it becomes more pronounced you get a shadow/curtain falling over your vision.

I'm surprised they have referred you to be seen tomorrow, I thought it was something that needed treating ASAP.

[Lefty]

K77 CTR said:

Retinial detachment has a higer incidence in people who are severly short sighted.

Symptoms are: flashing lights, floaters and as it becomes more pronounced you get a shadow/curtain falling over your vision.

I'm surprised they have referred you to be seen tomorrow, I thought it was something that needed treating ASAP.

Thanks, no symptoms like that, nothing at all!

I suspect that may be why the eye clinic weren't in a rush to see me...

[monthefish]

Lefty said:

The thing is, I had no symptoms, I had no knowledge that anything was wrong. Would I have suffered any symptoms before my retina detached? Or would I just have gone blind in one eye all of a sudden?!

Unfortunately, yes, it's possible. There is a chap that I know that this exact thing happened to. He woke up one morning with no vision in one eye. Torn retina, and is now blind in that eye. No worning, no nothing. Scary.

[Lefty]

monthefish said:

Lefty said:

The thing is, I had no symptoms, I had no knowledge that anything was wrong. Would I have suffered any symptoms before my retina detached? Or would I just have gone blind in one eye all of a sudden?!

Unfortunately, yes, it's possible. There is a chap that I know that this exact thing happened to. He woke up one morning with no vision in one eye. Torn retina, and is now blind in that eye. No worning, no nothing. Scary.

[Mark Benson]

monthefish said:

Lefty said:

The thing is, I had no symptoms, I had no knowledge that anything was wrong. Would I have suffered any symptoms before my retina detached? Or would I just have gone blind in one eye all of a sudden?!

Unfortunately, yes, it's possible. There is a chap that I know that this exact thing happened to. He woke up one morning with no vision in one eye. Torn retina, and is now blind in that eye. No worning, no nothing. Scary.

I had a detached retina a few years ago.
No symptoms, no warning, but one day a semi-circular 'shadow' (is the best way I can describe it, there was simply no vision in a semi-circle across the lower part of my vision in one eye, a bit like a solar eclipse IYSWIM) started to spread from the bottom of my eye upwards. In the course of a day it went from a tiny sliver to about 1/3 of my sight obscured in one eye.
Fortunately my neighbour at the time was also our GP and as soon as I described the symptoms to her she had me down to Moorfields eye hospital in London where I was operated on that evening - they put a plastic staple in the back of my eyeball to re-attach the retina and so far, all has been well.
I was told that if the detachment crosses the macular (the bit where the nerves exit the eyeball) it's game over for your sight in that eye, I was very nearly there.
At the same time, they repaired the tear they found in the other retina with laser surgery, suggesting that was probably the cause of the detachment in the other eye.

[sw67]

I had laser surgery a few years back for a detached retina. It was spotted as i was having treatment for iritis at the time so had eye checks every month. I still have good vision and dont need glasses at 44

I do have an eye test every 2 years without fail and after dealing with iritis for 8 years the detached retina didnt seem to matter much at the time as i didnt know any better - i will be quick to get treatment if i spot any symptoms