How Can I Tell the Status of a PVD?

[Lilscoop]

How can one know the status of the PVD?  I've read (and my retinal doctor says) under you look at the eye under a microscope in surgery, you can't tell where the vitreous is in the process of pulling away.  I was just diagnosed with PVD and a Weiss Ring.  I have two tufts and have been told I'm at higher risk for tears due to the tufts (these tufts were also in my opposite eye in the same position and I did get 2 retinal tears in that eye when the vitreous was detaching.


This discussion is related to posterior vitreous separation.

[Lilscoop]

Hi Dr. Oyakawa,

Thanks so much for the clarification.  Can you help with with a burning issue at hand.  I posted this question elsewhere, but have not received a response and time is of the essence in deciding what.  I had 2 retinal tears in my upper periphery in my left eye, repaired with emergency laser surgery mid-October.   The tears occurred where I had 2 tufts.  Three weeks later, I’ve now been diagnosed with a Weiss Ring in my right eye and informed my vitreous is pulling away.  (I’m 51 years old and Myopic – Contact prescription is -3.00)  Doctor said typically it takes 2-3 weeks to fully pull away.  He said I have 2 tufts in my right eye, located precisely in the same positions as where I had tufts in my left eye (and where I had tufts in my left eye is where I suffered the 2 retinal tears),  So, because I suffered tears in my retina where I had tufts in my left eye, my retinal doctor says I have an increased risk of suffering tears in my right eye where tufts also appear, as these tufts appear in the same location as where they were located in my left eye.  He said my options are we can wait and watch and he can recheck me in a week for any tears OR he can do elective laser surgery and laser around the 2 tufts to avoid any tears from occurring in those areas.  The laser surgery was horribly painful, with headaches lasting for some time after wards, so I dread this option, but I’m also hugely concerned about waiting and watching because should a tear occur, what if it’s too large to repair by laser and/or the retina has detached to where now surgical intervention is necessary instead of just laser.  I know the signs to watch for of a detachment (though I also understand there are sometimes no visible signs) but once a tear has occurred, laser may not be an option, even if I go right in.  HELP!!!   Is elective laser surgery around tufts when there is no tear present a common technique under these circumstances or is a wait and watch position more typical, and should a tear occur and one goes in right away is laser generally sufficient to repair it?  How risky does waiting and watching appear to be?  Any advice/information would be immensely appreciated.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

By symptoms.  The floater will become less apparent and sometimes completely clears.  Any change in symptoms warrants a visit to your doctor.

Dr. O.