crooked white line (light) flickers when i move at night after retinal detachment surgery

I had retinal detachment (right eye) surgery 39 days ago...The doctor used a gas bubble and medical glue on me....

almost two weeks after my RD surgery... i started seeing the same light flashes (circular in motion) i saw before the surgery.  I went to see the doctor and he did an ultrasound (there was still blood in the eye so he cldnt really see the retina).  after the ultrasound, the doc said my retina looked good.  at the same time i saw the flashes, I also started seeing this crooked white line/light that flickers as I moved my head (side to side) in bed at night ...but i was more worried about the light flashes....so i forgot to mention the white crooked line/light to the doc bec he said that my retina looked good after this ultrasounf and that he was able to see the retina after over 2 weeks and said that my retina looked good.

I didnt see the crooked white line/light for a while....but started seeing them again 2 weeks ago and didnt think much of it since he saw my retina already and said that it was good.

I saw my doctor earlier today (39 days after my surgery), had questions written out to ask him.  He ccldnt quite see the retina again so he did another ultrasound.  I told him that I started seeing some floaters on top of my right eye...which I also saw before my surgery.  I asked him if this could be because I was starting to see and that this is also one of those things where sometimes the symtoms (symptoms) before the surgery still persists even after the surgery....he said that the floaters were actually blood...

After this ultrasound today, he said that the retina looks good but that he is concerned about the blood still in my eye...that there was still much blood (after 39 days) and that he cldnt see behind the retina to know if it is really ok or that if there are any retinal tears....so he asked me to come back in a week.  I told him i had questions but he said he has lots of patients still that he will just call me the next day to answer all these questions....I tried to tell him about the white crooked line/light at this point...but he was already on to the next room/patient...he did this before and called me the next day after my surgery bec I said I had some questions then too...

My question is:
-waht could be this white crooked line/light that i see at night be...i see it during the day too but it doesnt look like a line...it just a faint flicker of light?
-could this be the bubble?  but i think the bubble is the big dark dot now that i see in my eyeball...  
-could this crooked white line/light that i see flickering at night be what is blocking my vision still...bec the doc said that i will start seeing in about 7 weeks and it's already been over five weeks (39 days to be exact) and it could be breaking down so I could start seeing?
-or could this be worse...like a hole in my retina?  but it doesnt look like the same light flashes I saw when i first had my tear before the surgery......i saw the flashes when i roll (circle) my eyeballs a bit......i did try to roll my eyes to see if they were the same symptom and i dont see it when i roll my eyes...i actuallly see this crooked/white line/light when i move my eye side to side...

PLEASE HELP...really worried.....i wish i insisted on him listening to me explain more....but he ran out so fast that all i could do now is wait for his call...

Thanks in advance for your answers...i eally really appreciate it....

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

Your symptoms can all be due to the RD surgery. Take the time to learn more. There are many extended, thoughtful and informative discussions on post RD surgery which you can access with the search and archives on this page

JCH MD

[corks100]

I realize that this webpage has many extended, thoughtful and informative doscussions....but I tried doing that and couldnt find any situations similar to mine....plus Im not sure if I am doint it right.....I tried typing main words on the searhc box and their post RD symptoms are not quite the same as mine....

Please help ....need an answer....

Thanks so much in advance.....

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

1. The line/light can be due to gas in the eye, the healing process (when RD surgery is done either laser and/or freezing treatment (cryotherapy) is applied to the back of the eye. The gas bubble can break down into smaller bubbles rather than one large one
2. It sounds like the retina surgeon is concerned about the blood in the eye. There is no way to predict if the blood will reabsorb or have to be removed with another operation.
3. Hopefully your surgeon called you. If not call back and give the staff your questions. Tell them the surgeon said he would call but didn't. Try and get a call from the surgeon or at least answers to your questions that will be relayed by the staff

JCH MD

[corks100]

Hi Dr, John....thank you so much for answering...

My surgeopn did call this morning to answer a lot of my questions.  He said that he is not sure what it is and that he has to see it and when I saw him yerterday he did say that I still had a lot of blood in my eye and wanted me to come back in a week (ill see him on the 20th).  BUt he said this before I mentioned the white flickering light/line to him....he was in a hurry to meet the next appt which is why I wasnt ablt to mention this to him.  

as from my previous background explanation above....he did an ultrasound of my eye 2x...one almost three weeks ago and one yerterday (with this flickering white line/line already occuring so he was able to see the retina with this occurence...although he prob didnt focus on it bec I didnt mention it to him until our phone concersation this morning...although I left him this question before to his staff to ask him before I met him yesterday ..unless he forgot...in which he said that it could wait unles i saw him yesterday....unless he forgot...i doubt it bec he is pretty thorough)....to both ultrasounds he said that my retina looked good and ok and that it is attached .......

He also expressed his concern for my eye still having lots of blood...but it's only been 40 days today (over 5 weeks) after pars plana visrectory....he did say that it will take me about 7-8 weeks before I can see.....

he said that it is not the bubble blocking my sight anymore...he said it was the blood still in my eye....he also said that i had a hard surgery because i didnt have a small tear...he said that I had an ALMOST 40-50% tear but that my macula was INTACT and not damaged....

so my questions now are:
1)  so you think the flickering white line/light is something serious like a tear...or just the blood vessels in the eye like he think it is (i see it at night and when I move my eye from left to right or right to left...it didnt look like the flashes I saw before the surgery w/c is the symptom for retinal tears together with floaters)...or do you think it is still remnants of the bubble even though he says the bubble has become small now...thei flickering white line/line changes in shape a little bit...it's about over a cm to almost 2 cm in shape...sometimes it is curved...sometimes it is almost straight in shape....
2)  he said that my retina looked good and attached from the ultracound...but what would be the concern for the blood?my eye is doing fine until he mentioned the blood...he said that my eye is attached...
3)  he told me to lay elevated from now on to help with the blood going away...he does know that I am a borderline diabetic and I have been maintaing my blood levels between 80-120 since after the surgery...
4)  what are my changes of getting my vision back to normal or the way it was before? i feel good about the eye...but I wanted to know you're percentage since you know these types of surgeries in the eye..
5) people who have had RD surgery...are they able to live normal lives after a succesfull surgery?  I mean I wldnt do anymore roller coaster rides, heavy lift weights anymore...but other than this...i can help bu think/worry about having a normal life?
6) in my case, what r the chances of having a re-detachment? im just worried although he said that my left eye is fine bec he examined it too...
7) are there any websites or organixations/groups you know  I can join to get help on prevention, etc?

Thank you so much in advance Dr. John...I appreciate your help and concern...hope to get your answers soon...you have helped so much with your answers so far...other docs dont really even answer questions...

P.S.  I have been listening to The Secret (R. Byrnes) and it has been a great help...any other reading or listening suggestions for your patients?

Thanks so much again!

[corks100]

P.P.S.  My surgeon used medical glue and gas bubble on my...he also said he did laser treatment on me...pars plana vit was the method he said he did....

Thanks again so much...

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

I can't answer those questions. THey can only be answered by your surgeon and even he can't tell you for sure.  

I understand that you would like definite answers. Medicine isn't like that.  Yes, I know its frustrating. If you looked at other RD surgery discussions many people feel your frustration.

JCH MD

[corks100]

Dr. John....

Can you answer some of my questions at least....the ones where you are confortable with and definitely have experience to and know answers to....PLEASE....I would really appreciate it...

Thanks again so much in advance...Ill be waiting for some answers....

I just turned 40, single and very worried...

Thanks again and God Bless you...