Retina Detachment, post laser, questions...

Last Wednesday I was diagnosed with a PVD in my left eye.  Last Friday afternoon I experienced a RD in that eye which obscured the bottom half of my visual field completely.  Saturday morning to the optometrist then retina specialist who injected a gas bubble to push the retina back into place (it was 'dangling' in front of the macula).  Wednesday I had the laser part of the surgery and was told everything went 'great'.  He said I could resume contact lens wear as soon as I cared to, and I could drive as long as I was aware that I would be seeing reflections off the gas bubble for a while...  

I realize it will be some time before I know how well things are healing...  (thus far, all the area that was completely dark on Friday is no longer dark, but now the whole visual field seems like I'm looking through a dirty window... )  I take all this as a sign that it's going to get back to normal and I'm guessing I'm actually looking through blood or some other fluid...

Ok, on to my question...  I've read about all the restrictions placed on many posters about reading, driving, and such after RD surgery... yet I was given no such restrictions...  Are there differing degrees where these restrictions are needed (where I should assume I was a 'mild' case) or should is there some other reason I'm not restricted?  

If it matters, I'm 39, experienced no trauma, have a family history of cataracts and one retinal tear...

Thanks!

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

Your surgeon is in the best position to advise you and no reason to doubt what he/she said. Almost always there is caution about flying with gas in the eye and usually want you to keep head above waist and not do yoga things like standing on head.

All different thing "how do you treat gun shot wounds?" That could include a "nick" of the leg or a large caliber bullet through the middle of the chest. RD surgery can have such extremes.

JCH MD

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

Your surgeon is in the best position to advise you and no reason to doubt what he/she said. Almost always there is caution about flying with gas in the eye and usually want you to keep head above waist and not do yoga things like standing on head.

All different thing "how do you treat gun shot wounds?" That could include a "nick" of the leg or a large caliber bullet through the middle of the chest. RD surgery can have such extremes.

JCH MD

[Mcq0823]

Hi Brandon,

Sorry to hear you went through the trauma. Have gone through 3 eye surgeries now. I did have the gas bubble and flying was a big no-no to me as well I had to be facedown recovery for a week.

I also did have many restrictions and was out of work for close to 4 weeks and didn't get to put contact lens back int he eye for a few months. If you feel uncomfortable I would just make a follow up appointment.

I didn't have any noticeable  visual loss for my RD, just a few floaters. It's been my personal experience that RD's are as a whole complicated and different in each situation.  You just want to feel comfortable with your MD.

Best of Luck,
Brian

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

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