Hi,
Thank you to all of the experts and contributors who are so helpful! Had a PVD and multiple retina tears just shy of 7 months ago. After 3 rounds of laser over a 6 week period I was passed over to a retina surgeon at the local university teaching hospital who placed an encircling scleral buckle and did lots of cryo. I was petrified by all of this because I am a scientist who requires crisp sharp vision for delicate work under stereoscopes, and my vision up to the minute I was wheeled into the operating theater was 20/20 with no field or other defects other than haze/glare from a dysfunctional pupil caused by the lasering.
I was instructed to see a university optometrist for a new glasses Rx two months after the scleral buckle - which I did with a great deal of anticipation. She said my eye was only capable of 20/50 BCVA and sent me out of the door. I tried asking her questions about the poor vision and she told me I needed to talk with the surgeon. In addition to this poor distance vision, my near vision is poor, my vision in general is very grainy, and to add insult to injury it looks as though I am looking through a dirty window pain when it is raining. When driving at night I must close the operated eye because any lights cause a haze/glare/fog that obscures seeing anything through the haze/fog.
Through the health system’s portal I wrote to the surgeon 2x about this terrible vision and asked for his help. He never replied to any of the messages. Six weeks after the optometrist appointment I had the scheduled check with the surgeon (4 months after surgery). My appointment was for 4.10 PM and by 5.30 or 5.45 the surgeon finally walked into the exam room. I told him I would happily return on his next appointment day so we could have quality time, but he refused and proceeded to examine the eye. During the appointment I began asking about the poor vision. After drawing and typing into his computer, the surgeon told me that the eye now has ERM and told me to come back in 4 months. I asked whether the poor and distorted vision was due to the ERM and he replied, “No, something else.” Then he left the exam room.
I feel as though this surgeon does not care one whit about my eye, my vision, my science CAREER! But, maybe I’m just overreacting because all of this is so depressing and devastating?
Just because I felt I needed an expert to talk with about this, 1 week after seeing the surgeon I went to my regular optometrist who I’ve seen annually for 15 years. She refracted my operated eye and was only able to attain 20/40 BCVA. After I mentioned the ERM, she asked me about the scans and imaging done by the surgeons clinic at the university. I said that no scans or imaging had been done. My optometrist has a new OCR and did a scan which showed inflammation across 50-60% of the retina, CME, and macular pucker. She started me on Ketorolac drops and said that we’d do another scan in 2 weeks. I thanked her profusely for caring and for helping.
After 10 days of Ketorolac drops 4x daily I do not notice improvement in vision. If we do not see and improvement with this follow up scan (will be 14 days of Ketorolac), how urgent is it that I take steps towards a vitrectomy and ERM peel? By today, it 20 weeks since the surgery. Crisp vision is my LIFE, and I’m very concerned that already the edema is causing permanent damage that cannot heal/recover.
Should I wait another 4 months for my next appointment with the original surgeon?
Should I find another surgeon and get a second opinion ASAP?
If the Ketorolac has had some beneficial effect in reducing the edema and widespread inflammation, how long should I continue with drops before trying to get an appointment with a retina surgeon?
Anything else I should be researching, thinking about, or doing?
If my vision is ruined so I am unable to work in my very specialized field (university was the best 10 years of my life), what options are there for assistance as I am the sole breadwinner?
Thank you for your help and recommendation!