Concerns with monthly symptoms and future post retinal detachment laser surgery.

[Amcdgc49]

Hi folks.
I had a partially detached retina lasered about 10 months ago.  It was not an acute event as my doc thought it took a few months as I did not have 1 symptom.  Just went for yearly eye exam and was caught.  I was told everything looks good.  I am myopic in each eye. -5.75 contacts in each.  I have a tiny bit lattice in unaffected eye which looks good as of now.  I have a great deal of anxiety due to my detachment and further complications down the road. I’m 42 and have been pretty bummed since all this started. My retina docs have said the same things at my appointments:
-go live your life, your laser fence looks great...we will monitor every 6 months
-you are at a slight increased risk for rd In unaffected eye...this confuses me, what is slight risk.  In the blogs it seems like the majority of people get rd in one eye and then the other.  My retina docs said it’s about 2-5% chance in good eye.
-finally, they said my risk also goes up with PVD.  That’s the real test, they said I should expect that around age 50-55.  Is that an automatic for RD?
-with my lasered eye, I see new looking strands, floaters monthly.  Flickering in nasal portion of lasered eye and a crescent clear shape...all of which my retina doc says is normal.  They have checked and said all looks good.

Sorry for the questions just trying to deal with this tremendous anxiety and live my life again

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

At age 42 you will soon if not already have problems reading at near with your glasses and you will need to go into progressive bifocals. The risk of RD in your fellow is probably very close to the 2 to 5% your surgeon quoted you.  Optimistically that means 95-98% of NOT having RD.  Light, dark spots, floaters post laser are frequently reported here. use the search feature and read the many posts from about about their experience post laser to retina.

[Amcdgc49]

Dr Hagan
So if I understand correctly it is common to observe dark spots floaters post photocoagulation surgery?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Yes, often flashes, floaters, projected dark or light spots 180 degree away from the treated area.

[Amcdgc49]

That makes a lot of sense. I get these small like pinpoint lights or a dark spot that comes and goes every so often...not really a floater. I was wondering what that was.  Everything checks out fine when I go to retina doc. Thanks

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Certainly, best of luck

[Amcdgc49]

Dr Hagan
Quick question. Would the fact that I had a laser baracde in my eye for partial detachment pose a problem later if it detached and I got say a buckle with vitrectomy? Meaning, would the scar tissue (I assume that’s what happens with laser) interfere with the buckle and pose a greater risk for unsuccessful attatchemt, if surgery em was ever needed?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No not usually.

[pinhole]

I had that situation several years ago and my retina was successfully reattached with a vit-buckle.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

=

[Amcdgc49]

Thanks. Curiously why do we get these random dots of light flashes or dark specs 180o from laser bars are? I assume that’s not floaters. Just curious why it happens

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

because light crosses at the pupil.  ground is seen by upper retina, sky by lower retina.  So if retina stimulated projected 180 away