About 1 year ago, I was sucker punched in the side of my face, causing the vitreous (the jelly substance) in eye to peel off my retina - something known as post vitreous detachment ("PVD"). PVD is not usually harmful to the eye itself. However, PVD causes floaters. These are not a normal type of floaters you get as you age and PVD occurs naturally but thicker lines in your vision rather than the usual dots.
Anyway, the floaters were REALLY bad. Last month, after lamenting for 1 year, I decided to get a vitrectomy. Basically, 3 trochars (or tubes) are inserted through the white of your eye. 1 tube cuts the remaining gel, the other sucks it out, and the third fills the eye cavity with solution so it can maintain proper shape and form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FJYeEGl98g
This procedure is relatively controversial to treat floaters and is generally used in conjunction with more serious retinal surgery. In fact, it took me a while to find a surgeon to agree to operate.
Anyway, I'm about 3 weeks post op. The surgery is was a success according to my surgeon. My eye pressure is a little high (which is common) so he put me on the same drops glaucoma patients use. He expects the pressure to go back to normal as the inflammation fully heals. The other issue is that the pupil is still dilated due to the antibiotic drops, which will take anther month to retract to normal.
The biggest concern right now is that there is a blind spot in the upper left of my periphery. My surgeon cannot explain the cause of this as close inspection of the retina reveals not damage anywhere. He hopes that it will resolve itself or, in the worst case, my brain will train itself to block it out since it is in the upper left periphery. He also things it may be a shadow from the dilated pupil (my pupil is almost entirely dilated at this point). My distant vision is 20/20, same as pre-op.
I'm also left with a few residual floaters but I can hardly notice them -- only when I look for them on extremely bright backgrounds like a word document. Wearing sunglasses eliminates my ability to see the floaters all together (and the blind spot for that matter). Overall, I do not regret my surgery at all. Even as the eye is in the healing process, I believe my quality of life is much improved. I am a little concerned about the blind spot but I hope it resolves itself in time. Even if it doesn't, I believe overall its a huge improvement over living with huge swirling floaters.
That is all.
/end blog
Anyway, the floaters were REALLY bad. Last month, after lamenting for 1 year, I decided to get a vitrectomy. Basically, 3 trochars (or tubes) are inserted through the white of your eye. 1 tube cuts the remaining gel, the other sucks it out, and the third fills the eye cavity with solution so it can maintain proper shape and form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FJYeEGl98g
This procedure is relatively controversial to treat floaters and is generally used in conjunction with more serious retinal surgery. In fact, it took me a while to find a surgeon to agree to operate.
Anyway, I'm about 3 weeks post op. The surgery is was a success according to my surgeon. My eye pressure is a little high (which is common) so he put me on the same drops glaucoma patients use. He expects the pressure to go back to normal as the inflammation fully heals. The other issue is that the pupil is still dilated due to the antibiotic drops, which will take anther month to retract to normal.
The biggest concern right now is that there is a blind spot in the upper left of my periphery. My surgeon cannot explain the cause of this as close inspection of the retina reveals not damage anywhere. He hopes that it will resolve itself or, in the worst case, my brain will train itself to block it out since it is in the upper left periphery. He also things it may be a shadow from the dilated pupil (my pupil is almost entirely dilated at this point). My distant vision is 20/20, same as pre-op.
I'm also left with a few residual floaters but I can hardly notice them -- only when I look for them on extremely bright backgrounds like a word document. Wearing sunglasses eliminates my ability to see the floaters all together (and the blind spot for that matter). Overall, I do not regret my surgery at all. Even as the eye is in the healing process, I believe my quality of life is much improved. I am a little concerned about the blind spot but I hope it resolves itself in time. Even if it doesn't, I believe overall its a huge improvement over living with huge swirling floaters.
That is all.
/end blog
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