Is it just me

[LonelyinLangley]

I have had 3 procedures for retinal detachment in my left eye between Feb. 19th and March 4th. 2 were the gas bubble injection followed by laser.  When it was determined that the eye was about to tear again, I had the complete surgery, including cryosurgery, laser, removal of all the vitreous fluid, and another gas bubble.  24 hrs. after the surgery I developed cranial neuropathy of all the nerves affected by the local anesthetic. My surgeon told me that doesn't happen.  Apparently, he's misinformed.  It happened to me.  At first he offered only Tylenol 3, which didn't even touch the pain.  Then ketoloric which didn't help either.  I gave up on him and went to my local opthamologist.  He wrote a prescription for oxycodone which worked by the side effects were nasty.  My GP became involved and now I taking gabapentin (Neurontin) and low dose morphine.  That works, but I have no idea when this regimen will end.  The surgeon said he'd look for a neurologist or a pain clinic referral for me.  On-line I discovered that there is a specialty called neuro-opthamolgy.  Has anyone onlist experienced this?

Thanks in advance.

[LonelyinLangley]

Thank you for your response.  I went on-line and found that there are ONLY two neuro opthamologists in Vancouver, BC, an hours drive from Langley .  The good news is that they are both professors at the University of British Columbia, in the Department of Opthamology and Visual Sciences.  They do consults and surgeries at the Vancouver General Hospital's Eye Clinic: Dr. Duncan Anderson and Dr. Jason Barton.  They are the ONLY neuro opthamolgists in the province. I've put this information in this post, in case some other patient in our vast province needs to know. Hopefully my retinal surgeon is making some attempt to fast-track me to see one of them.

Again, thank you for your support.  

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

This is a very unusual pain.  See the neuro-ophthalmologist.

Dr. O.

[LonelyinLangley]

My surgeon did not mention a scleral buckle.  Only cryosurgery, laser, vitreous removal, and the bubble.  I am not aware of corneal problems and I get my eyes checked every year because of a family history of glaucoma.  However, I had cataract surgery in both eyes in 2007.  That resulted in very poor outcome in my right eye, that was *very* myopic pre-surgery.  The optic nerve in that eye is now slowly atrophying.  I really, really need a good outcome for the retinal surgery in the left eye.  

As to the cranial pain, it starts at the level of my top teeth and extends to the back of my skull.  When the drugs wear off, even the wind moving my hair will cause pain in my scalp. The pain is completely on the left side of my head, starts with the left front tooth and runs completely up and over the centre of my skull.  There is no pain AT ALL on the right side of my head.  I checked with my GP, his files do not show any history of this type of pain in my files.  He's been my GP for 16 years.  

I will be seeing my local opthamologist in early May.