Retinal Detachment

[ericbrand]

Hi all. I just got back from s Retinal Specialist by the name of Dr. Alexander Aizman and was told that I have a full retinal detachment. He urged that I get surgery done as soon as Friday and mentioned the procedure where a band is placed that acts like a belt. I am very concerned since I am just 20 years old and this seems like a very severe procedure. I would like to know if Dr. Alexander Aizman is a good doctor to do the surgery (is he well-known in the retinal opthalmology community)? Should I proceed with this surgery? Are there any common complications that may occur after this procedure? Thank you all very much for your time and hope that some of my concerns can be alleviated.

I live in the Brooklyn, NY area

[ann270]

Dear Sir I would really appreciate if you guide me with my query...Please respond to my post...Thanks

[cwatt1]

While I agree that a second opinion is always a good thing to obtain, please don't wait too long to have your detachment repaired.  A retinal detachment is a medical emergency and should be treated as soon as possible.  Waiting too long will jeopardize your sight.

[Luvtoski]

If indeed you do have a retina detachment, I concur that surgery is necessary.  I would only suggest that you get at least one more opinion from a Retina specialist because this is a huge decision and I wouldn't personally make it based on one doctors opinion.
Also, have him show you the results of your OCT test or any other test he used to determine his diagnosis.  Information will give you peace of mind...You want no regrets, right?
Good luck !!

[cwatt1]

Scleral buckle surgery is a fairly common way to treat retinal detachments.  I'm glad to hear you've decided to move ahead with the surgery, as failing to have any surgery done after a retinal detachment can definitely put you at risk for total blindness in that eye.  There are a number of discussions here on the forum concerning scleral buckling, which you can find in the forum archives.

It is sometimes necessary to have more than one procedure done in the case of a retinal detachment.  I had scleral buckle surgery performed late last year, but it is very likely I will need an ERM (epiretinal membrane peel) because of the formation of scar tissue around the macula.

Good luck, and keep us posted as to your outcome.

[ericbrand]

Thank you so much for your response and am definitely feeling a lot better going through with the surgery. I just hope this isn't going to start a series of surgeries on my eye and can be corrected with just one since I read about a few cases where people are already on their 3-4 surgery. But like you said I don't have much of a choice since it is either I do the surgery or lose my sight. I'll just go in and hope for the best.

[ericbrand]

Ok so I found him in the database and am going through with the surgery. Thank you very much.

[Moxie67]

Also you can look up background information about doctors at www.healthgrades.com

It tells you a bit more about their training, areas of specialty, and records of malpractice or sanctions if any.

[Moxie67]

Also you can rest assured that the IV sedation they use for these types of procedures turn the whole event into quite a pleasant experience.

I had myself a real good trip when I got my cataract surgery.
It's the part I remember most.

They put my son right out for his procedure but they told me it was just because of his age and that they usually use IV sedation instead.

[Moxie67]

My son had this procedure done 10 years ago at age 16.  It saved his sight.  He's turning 26 on Thursday and he gets along just fine with it.  It did leave him a little nearsighted in that eye but not enough to even need glasses.  Sometimes he says he can feel it (the band) but it's not painful and most of the time he doesn't even notice it.

I'm not an expert, just his mom and with eye problems of my own, and so I don't know a lot about common complications although I do believe that nearsightedness afterwards is quite common because the band (called scleral buckle) changes the shape of the eyeball a bit.  Not so anyone else can see it though.
Afterwards, he had nausea and some pain, but it was treated with gravel and T3's.
The side effect of not having it done is blindness, which is something I'm sure you don't want, so I don't see you have much choice about not having it done.
It's scary, but if my son (not the bravest soul) could do it, then so can you.

Good luck.

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

You can go to www.geteyesmart.org  and see if he is a Fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology. If so that is a good indicator of his character and tranining. If not they you can locate other retina MDs in your area.

JCH MD