Reitnal Scar Tissue

[redcurls]

I have had retinal detachement in both of my eyes and have had scar tissue detache each of them  a second time.  my right eye was 4 years ago and my left eye  last year.  The Doctor gave me a drug meant for cancer patients  to prevent the scar tissue from coming back on my right eye and that seemed to work, that was in Minnesota, Now the Doctor here in Arizona put silcon oil in my eye, he said there is no proof the drug works, it worked on me, that was proof... I have had the oil in for 14 months and will soon be getting it removed, alonfg with the scar tissue that has come back over this last year.  Is there a vitamin that I can take to help prevent it from coming back after the oil and old tissue is removed?  I don't have and cannot get any health insurance to cover another surgery, I heard vitamin A is helpful, any help would be appreciated

[jmm49]

I am a young and active 20 year old that has had a scar on my retna for a good 10 years. Doctors don't have a legitimately correct answer as to why I have this scar, and due to seeing a couple different doctors I got 2 different answers; that I have a scar on my retna and that I have fluid in my eye. I strongly disbelieve I have fluid in my eye. My vision in the damaged eye is 70/20 and my right eye is 20/20. After 10 years, my vision has not changed or got any blurrier. Can a doctor perform a surgery to cut the scar off? I am getting rather desperate to have this fixed as my driving at night gets a little on edge and just the fact that not being able to clearly see out of my eye is just getting aggrivating and stressful. Can I get this fixed or I have no chance?  

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

It depends on what you mean by disabled. Yes its quite possible that your eye may not make a full recovery. If you work as a airline pilot you might not be able to return to that. However even if the eye went blind you would not be legally disabled since that is defined in terms of what the BETTER eye sees (must be less than 20/200 best corrected or visual field narrower than 10 degrees in its wides diamter.

Points out the need to protect you GOOD eye from disease or injury.

JCH MD

[angiebh1]

This is my third surgery for retina detachment due to scar tissue formation at which this time the silicone oil was use. I've been very nearsighted all of my life, I'm 53 years old have always had trouble driving at night. Now I'm not driving at all. I'm a healthcare worker. Could this condition permanately disable me?

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

Scar tissue in the eye is a lot different than scar on an arm or leg. The problem is that healthy eye tissue has been converted to non functioning scar. The Washington U- Barnes Eye MDs are among the best in the world. Only someone that looks in your eye can tell, ask them.

JCH MD

[kyle2006]

I was in a work accident. I received trauma to my left eye. I had 1 surgery to stich the eye. The another onw to reattach the retina. My vision is clowdy and I really can only count fingers out of that eye. I still have a buckel and scar tissue on the retina. This happened 2 years ago. Dr. Brad Smith did my surgery in St. Louis at Barnes Jewish Hospital.
Can the scar tissue be removed and will this help my vision. Would this be something I should persue?
Are there any new treatments being developed to treat the scar tissue?

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

You are describing ocular histoplasmosis with choroidal neovascularization. As a rule that type of scar cannot be removed because it is full thickness through the retina. However only your retinal surgeon Eye MD can tell you for sure.

JCH MD

[tunes4u]

Long story short:  Can scar tissue on the retina be removed?  Age: a young active 50

It is causing me double vision and my eyes (and entire being) are worn out from the double vision and rapidly increasing blurriness due to aging I was found with hystoplasmosis only in my left eye 2 years ago.  The immediate laser surgery was to close the open vessles in my retina that broke open possibly from the bacteria from bird dung.   The theory is that bacteria from bird droppings is prominent in the ground and air in this region (Indiana, Ohio, Ky, Tn, Mich, Illinois...)  This then is unknowingly breathed in and more often than not it reoccurres within 2 weeks of surgery.  Mine did.  I then  had a shot in my eye of a chemical and it has prevented any further damage from the bacteria .  I'm glad the backteria is under control, however the scar tissue is close to my macula and is causing warped vision in my left eye.  This then means my right eye sees normal vision and my left sees a warped vision therefore, leaving me with double vision.

I'm real tired of double vision and wonder if it is even possible to remove scar tissue with out risking further eye vision problems.

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

Vitamens, supplements and herbs will not benefit your condition. Remember that as recent as 10 years ago your condition would leave to stone blindness. Your surgeons are working to save as much vision as possible.

use the search feature and read the man posts about retina surgery trials and tribulations especially those by barrywoo

JCH MD