why is an angiogram needed for a fovea in the eye?

my mom had lense replacement surgery in may. Since then the opthamologist said she has developed a fovea in her right eye. He gave her drops, like Predisloane and Acular. When he checked her eye in August he discovered it still has not went away and wanted to do lens replacement on the second eye. He then sent her to a Retinologist. He ran a series of test and told her to return for an Angiogram on the eye with the Fovea. Why is an Angiogram necessary for this type of problem and if the Fovea is still there, is there a cure for it? What can they do for her Fovea?


This discussion is related to Cataract Complication: Fovea leakage .

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

You have something wrong in your facts. All healthy eyes have a fovea, it is the center of the macula which is the part of the eye that reads and sees straight ahead.

JCH MD

[shiloh311]

that's strange. Her doctor told us she had a fovea in her eye..but if it is the center of the macula, which he says is like a wrinkle in the retina, what will an Angiogram exam show and what can be done about it?

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

Go to google images and type in "fovea of the eye" and that will show you what it looks like.  Sounds like she has a macular epiretinal membrane. use the search feature to read abaout that condition.

Also search Fluoroscene angiogram to understand more about that test.

You really need to get the information from your Eye MD.

JCH MD

[shiloh311]

Dr. Hagan...thank you immensely for your advice. I just came back from the Retinologist with mom and he says she does not have macular epiretinal membrane. Thank god. They did a Angiogram exam and found her macula does not leak, she has no leakage in her retina. Her left  eye has healed and but she has a huge cataract in her right eye but the retinogist said in his opinion he would wait until she has very blurry vision before it is removed, but its up to her if she decides to get it done. Do you think she should have cataract surgery on her right eye? the left eye has healed.

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

If she is happy with the left eye results and the right eye has a huge cataract then I would recommend a patient of mine to proceed with surgery on the other eye.
JCH MD