Vision worse after scleral buckle surgery?

[cybermky]

I had what was a chronic retina detachment on the bottom of my eye.  It was diagnosed back in February of this year.  I had flashes on the very top of my peripheral vision for probably about 2 years and had asked a optometrist 2 years ago about it and they didn't see anything.  I then went to an ophthalmologist who diagnosed me with a retina detachment.  I had surgery about a week later probably because it was on the bottom of my eye and I had had it for awhile.

Anyways, I'm about 9 months post op, and although I know my prescription changed and I expected that, there are things that I'm really not so sure of and seem worse than before.  For instance, I still see the flashes on occasion and I have sort of a grey shadow on the top of my vision that wasn't there before the surgery and has been there since I've had the surgery.  The shadow shimmers in the light. I also see shimmering on the right side of my vision especially if I'm underneath an overhead light.  I have asked the doctor about all of this and they say it is normal.  The grey shadow is really water under the retina and may or may not settle down and my brain may process it away.. but I don't think that it's happening.  I'm concerned, as this shimmering shadow wasn't there before the surgery.  I really just expected that the buckle was going to prevent further detachment and not cause my overall vision to be impaired.  Just more obstacles in my vision I suppose.  I'm glad it's not in the center of my vision, but I'm worried it could creep down.

Is all of this normal?  I'm just concerned I could get worse even with the buckle on.  I've been exercising a lot lately too.  Sort of a cross fit / boot camp type exercise.  Can that make my vision worse?  

[JohnHaganMD]

Best of luck.   JCH MD

[cybermky]

thanks so much for responding so quickly!  I'll probably go and have another doctor look at things just to be sure everything's fine.  I recently had a follow up and my doctor does look at my other eye every time while I'm there.  My vision is about -8.00 in both eyes.  I really think I got the detachment while I was playing roller derby.  I stopped playing 4 years ago, but think the detachment finally really showed itself more recently.  I could be wrong..

I just worry the grey area in my vision will move so slowly down that I won't notice until it's in my center of vision.  My doctor does seem to draw out my eye on the chart when I'm there so I'm assuming they're sort of tracking that.  I had a small tear back in September in the same eye with the detachment.  I asked if it was from the exercising, and they didn't think it was the cause.  It was so small, I just think it wasn't that visible to begin with and wasn't seen right after the surgery.  I did have lasering done 2 days after the surgery and I think that's normal too.

The exercise is Orange Theory and the most jostling I do is burpee's.  My doctor doesn't have a problem with me exercising, I mostly wonder if push-ups and burpees are bad. (Facing down exercises). I'm assuming running is ok.  Yeah, amusement parks are out for me now and that's ok.  I get a little nervous around my dog when she shakes her ears near my eyes now so I'm fairly careful..

[JohnHaganMD]

If you have a RD in one eye the chance of having a RD in the fellow eye is about 10-15%  lower in some cases higher in others depending on things like your refractive error, presence of retinal holes, lattice, etc.

Often after RD surgery retina distal to the buckle is "devitalized" i.e. it doesn't work. This projects a non-seeing area 180 degrees away from it.  Also RD surgery is often very complex and other things such as fluid drainage, laser, cryopexy, air or gas injection have to be done.  Fluid (edema) can develop in the macula or a macular epiretinal memberane may form. So vision may not improve even if a RD is re-attached and in some instances can actually be worse.

My suggestion would be to see a different retina surgeon for a second opion about your eye; evaluate your other eye for conditions that might lead to a RD and ask about your "boot-camp" activities.  For sure contact sports and whip-lash type rides at amusement parks should be avoided.

JCH MD