Do they still do it this way? I know Hellas already asked, went through this decades ago.

I'd like to know exactly how many things you can do. No driving, right? So no grocery shopping? What else? I think I'd go crazy. This would be for retinopathy scarring.

Is there any alternative treatment? Does it maybe go away in time?

I had a victrectomy last year for retinal scarring. I did not have to recoup laying face down. I think that happens if you have a gas bubble with oil. I just had saline solution. After awhile it changes back to the vitreous as nature intended. It took awhile for the eye to return to normalut basically it wasn't bad, I'm very sensitive but I got through it okay. I felt worse a couple of days after surgery. It just took time because there is post op swelling and it needs to heal. It was my poor eye so better eye took over for me for vision. I pray I don't ever need it for my good eye. the one I depend on.
It's best to do it right away if you need it as left the scarring can pull the retina away and cause a detached retina. That is dangerous for your eye. Mine had partially detached and I could feel the pull.

I had a victrectomy last year for retinal scarring.

I did not have to recoup laying face down.I think that happens if you have a gas bubble with oil. I just had saline solution.

After awhile it changes back to the vitreous as nature intended. It took awhile for the eye to return to normalut basically it wasn't bad, I'm very sensitive but I got through it okay. I felt worse a couple of days after surgery. It just took time because there is post op swelling and it needs to heal. It was my poor eye so better eye took over for me for vision. I pray I don't ever need it for my good eye. the one I depend on.

It's best to do it right away if you need it as left the scarring can pull the retina away and cause a detached retina. That is dangerous for your eye. Mine had partially detached and I could feel the pull.

That's exactly what I needed to know, Cher, that the saline solution is what I'd want instead of gas. Thanks so much.

Do you have to shop around for someone who'll do it that way, hard to find?

I'm glad you warned about post-op swelling, too, and I know just how you feel about risking the one eye that you depend on most. I was very nervous about getting the second capsulotomy, on my better eye, in which vision is temporarily down a little, but thankfully I expected that, until the "donut hole" is disintegrated or however it goes away within 3 wks. And my worst eye improved to almost where my better one was so that will help.

I've been really worried about the vitrectomy for the scarring, and vitreous clumping up, she said. Finding out about the saline possibility is a great relief if I can find someone who does it and their own suturing. You probably remember Jodie's experience. Hope you don't mind that I put some extra spaces in the quote of your post because I want to keep a hard copy that's as easy to read as possible. It's the solution to my problem if I can just find someone who'll do the procedure that way. Oh, and did you have to spend time in a hospital???

Eagle,

I think that vitrectomies are almost always outpatient procedures. The face-down healing is usually only necessary for a retinal detachment--the gas bubble and special positioning are needed to hold the retina in place during the early stages of healing. I can't imagine that any surgeon would put someone through face-down healing unless it was necessary to keep the retina attached. I had to wear a protective patch for sleeping for a few days, but otherwise had few restrictions. I was able to drive the day after surgery with a contact lens in my good eye.

If possible, try to find a surgeon who uses the newer 25-gauge sutureless vitrectomy equipment (rather than the older 20-gauge stuff that requires sutures). Recovery is supposed to be SO much quicker and easier with the new sutureless equipment. (I actually still have some minor inflammation on my eye white from the suture reaction I had a year age!)

Eagle,

I think that vitrectomies are almost always outpatient procedures. The face-down healing is usually only necessary for a retinal detachment--the gas bubble and special positioning are needed to hold the retina in place during the early stages of healing. I can't imagine that any surgeon would put someone through face-down healing unless it was necessary to keep the retina attached. I had to wear a protective patch for sleeping for a few days, but otherwise had few restrictions. I was able to drive the day after surgery with a contact lens in my good eye.

If possible, try to find a surgeon who uses the newer 25-gauge sutureless vitrectomy equipment (rather than the older 20-gauge stuff that requires sutures). Recovery is supposed to be SO much quicker and easier with the new sutureless equipment. (I actually still have some minor inflammation on my eye white from the suture reaction I had a year age!)

Jodie, I remember your suture problem, and wonder if some of the odorless garlic pills (I get them at Kroger, green top and writing, 2000 mg.) would help get rid of the remaining inflammation? With most every infection, for years, I've had to finally resort to garlic pills when doctors feared causing a resistance to antibiotics after a couple of prescriptions, which maybe were not even the right ones. I'm not Catholic but I'll bet Pope John Paul's death from a urinary infection was like that and he had no garlic, I kid you not.

Thanks much for the info about sutureless equipment making healing easier.

I'll be sure to ask the retina specialist about that, and hope she does that. I've had 8 or 9 procedures and she's never goofed, very skilled, things I'm afraid I would never trust anyone else to do. They don't like us to get information from the internet but never have time or inclination to tell us all we need to know. I'm learning so much from other patients here.

My retinal specialist did the surgery (victrectomy) Maybe it was just the way he did it (saline solution) in my case. I don't even know much about it. I just took his word for everything.
I'm afraid my good eye, the one i just had the cataract removed from, is not doing that well. It has been two months post op and the vision seems to be getting blurrier. I don't know whether it's the capsule clouding up or the macular edema worsening after the surgery.
When did you notice clouding after the cataract surgery? So with the laser treatment for the clouding, vision gets worse for awhile too?
All this is not much fun. Maybe you can help me. I'm beginning to lose hope .
Retinal doc. didn't want to see me again umtil March but I think I will go there the beginning of Feb. I don't think I'm doing as well as he thought.
MY vision is so poor in my bad eye that they aren't sure whether to do the cataract in that eye at all. I can't see leaving it there though. The eye does help me see and it will get harder and harder as the cataract gets thicker. I really don't have much central vision there.

[QUOTE=Cher2005;2766204]..................
I'm afraid my good eye, the one i just had the cataract removed from, is not doing that well.

It has been two months post op and the vision seems to be getting blurrier. I don't know whether it's the capsule clouding up or the macular edema worsening after the surgery. [QUOTE]

(Reply, Color Not Working:) Is he treating the edema? I'd guess that's the trouble. The young opthalmologist evidently didn't know there is such a thing so I'm glad I went to the retina specialist soon after the cataract removal. He didn't warn me to expect that or to wait about getting prescription glasses, as most peoples' vision fluctuates, maybe even a year or longer, and dollar store glasses are recommended.

KENNALOG was injected into my eyeball for the edema by the retina specialist, and she was proud of the result. "Worked for me." Some people say they have to have the steroids repeated every few months, but my worst eye seems to have been protected for more than a year already, or at least she doesn't tell me there's any edema in it now.

[QUOTE]When did you notice clouding after the cataract surgery? [QUOTE]

(Reply: They noticed it almost immediately, and normally it's about a year, so the surgeon must have just left a lot of cataract cells behind, maybe trying not to add to my diabetes injuries.).............

[QUOTE] So with the laser treatment for the clouding, vision gets worse for awhile too? [QUOTE]

Reply: Maybe not for everyone.

She said come back in about 3 wks for checkup of the second capsulotomy, which will probably be for the first one again too. There was a sinus discharge exactly 5 wks after the first capsulotomy, mediciny, which I guess was some of the drops they put in, that I don't need to mention to her.

I dare to hope for better than 20/80 at the next checkup which will be mostly for the second capsulotomy, but vision really fluctuates a lot, isn't too good this morning. I was reading a lot yesterday, about a computer problem. Don't know if that's why it seems down. Never lose hope. It's even physically good for you. ............

[QUOTE]MY vision is so poor in my bad eye that they aren't sure whether to do the cataract in that eye at all. I can't see leaving it there though. The eye does help me see and it will get harder and harder as the cataract gets thicker. I really don't have much central vision there.[QUOTE]

Did they give you an exact number description of how bad it is? Mine was about 20/800, they said, before cataract surgery. Then went to 20/200.

Yes, my worst eye HELPS my better one, very definitely, and did even when it was at 20/800.

Our caretakers might tell us it's our imagination but I know you're right. You'd just want to wait a while to have the other catarct done, right?

Now that I've had the two capsulotomies, I can see defects on the Amsler Grid which I keep on the wall in my kitchen (can be printed out from a web search if you don't have one) which they say is not AMD but scarring, and that I just couldn't see it well enough till now.

I don't know. It's always worse late in the day when I'm tired, not too bad at all early mornings. I get distracted and didn't tell her that yet.

So the Amsler Grid isn't just to show AMD, as it says on it, after all (?) You wonder sometimes if they just don't want you to worry. At least not until they're ready for a next step.

In another thread here, someone mentions some herbals that help with AMD and diabetes at the same time, Ocuvite Preser Vision, I think, and some other supplements. Bitter Melon and something else. I may try some of it, and get my metformin reduced from 1000's to 850, keep my other diabetes meds. I've found that grocery store garlic pills, odorless, 2000 mg, as many as it takes, since it's just food, green top on white bottle, works better for me than antibiotics, especially if the doctor can't guess the right antibiotic.

Hang in there. Your experience sounds so much like mine.

Somewhere I read that we should avoid NSAIDS, and I forget if that's aspirin. Could do a keyword search, I know, if I don't forget again. Keep us posted.

Hi- I had the face-down recovery after surgery for a macular hole. This was 2 years ago. I don't know if it is still the main method, but it sure was at the time. Like you, if I ever needed it on my other eye, I would look for alternate methods of recovery. I managed fine with the face down, but my husband was home to help during that two weeks. Don't know about saline, mine was the air bubble, and after I was able to keep my head up again, the air bubble remained for about a month, and it was sure annoying!--L.

Somewhere I read that we should avoid NSAIDS, and I forget if that's aspirin. Could do a keyword search, I know, if I don't forget again. Keep us posted

I need to take aspirin for my heart disease. Surgeon who did bypass said to NEVER stop taking it, it will prevent a stroke.But I only take 2 low dose a night (160 mg.)

I'm going to call retinal doc next week and set up an appointment for the week after. I just dont like the way my eyes are doing. I'm hoping to get a kennelog injection then. I think the edema must be spiking.
He couldn't give me one a couple of weeks ago because the batch they were using was causing reactions and they were looking for another lab to make it for them.
Always something.

I'm going to call retinal doc next week and set up an appointment for the week after. I just dont like the way my eyes are doing. I'm hoping to get a kennelog injection then. I think the edema must be spiking.
He couldn't give me one a couple of weeks ago because the batch they were using was causing reactions and they were looking for another lab to make it for them.
Always something.

Thanks for the answer about aspirin. I'm not positive that's an NSAID.

Your retina doctor uses Kennalog too? I'll not be going in for a couple of weeks, but do I need to ask what lab makes the kind I had? Don't know if they'd look it up if I just phoned them today for someone else. Could it be that you should go in even sooner? But he doesn't like the older steroids as well as Kenalogg? Maybe he's already found another lab and didn't think to have someone phone you. Good luck with that.

Some of us are susceptible to edema, and I suspect I may have had some after my latest capsulotomy, but she didn't say so when I went in a month later for checkup, probably had no way of knowing then.

Seems to me the second week is the worst and last night it seemed my worst eye, which may be a little better than 20/80 by now, was seeing better than my usually better one, due to the capsulotomy set back. They say vitrectomy causes months of lower vision. But I think you said you could drive the next day. I'll read again before consenting to that. Advanced diabetes takes a lot out of you, and I guess I need a break emotionally also, having had so many things done since Aug. 2005. Guess everybody heals at their own rate, and it may take some of us six weeks instead of three.

A famous side effect of Zetia for cholesterol, which works in the stomach instead of the liver, is tiredness, so I've temporarily stopped taking that w/out seeing the doctor, may start it again. The experiment helped some. I'm in Michigan, where we have cloudy weather in winter a lot due to the Great Lakes. It gets rather dreary in February.

In another thread here, someone mentions some herbals that help with AMD and diabetes at the same time, Ocuvite Preser Vision

I bought the regular Ocuvite, which has omega three also, so it's what I went with. I hope it helps.
I had to quit taking zetia too because it is broken doen in the kidneys and I was losing kidney function. It really helped my cholestorol, but... So now I just take straight zocor.
Im going to contact doc next week to se if he has the new kennolog. I think an injection would help my vision. I'm also having a ;ot of distortion trying to see through the bad eye with the cataract and the newly cataract free eye. I always get scared when my vision gets worse. I think that the edema kicked in as I have read it often does after cataract surgery.

So now I just take straight zocor.

Im going to contact doc next week to se if he has the new kennolog. I think an injection would help my vision. I'm also having a ;ot of distortion trying to see through the bad eye with the cataract and the newly cataract free eye. I always get scared when my vision gets worse. I think that the edema kicked in as I have read it often does after cataract surgery.[/QUOTE]

Maybe it was hurting my kidneys too, had some back pain and I assumed it was from a lot of Christmas shopping, walking on hard surfaces. My doctor or pharmacist didn't tell me a thing about zetia affecting kidneys. I'm afraid of statins too. They work in the liver instead of the stomach, but I used to look up bad side effects and remember there were some horror stories but I can't remember details.

Yes, I get a little scared when my vision's down too. I think the Kennalog has me protected from retinal edema, and in sorting a lot of printouts today I found a good one about retinopathy patients having little blank spots in their vision. It's about PEGAPTRAUB, or something like that, being tested, Nov.06.

It takes a while, but one paragraph says within 3 wks of just 1 injection there was significant regression of vascularization, I think the word is. It's for macular edema. A Dr. Gonzalez was giving this report. No adverse effects. But 82 months? Those with the most injections had the most benefits. Maybe Kenalogg's just as good or better.

Sometimes I have to turn my face every which way, to avoid the little holes, , like those "progressive lenses" glasses that are so expensive and take a lot of head movement.

I had vitrectomy surgery in October 2006, but did not have to do the face down healing. My question to any of you who have had this surgery is this...how long before you began to see more clearly. My vision in the operated eye still has not improved much. The Dr.says I have some swelling in the eye that is slowly going down. I have been putting acular drops in the eye to help with the swelling. I have read that it could take up to a year for vision to improve. I hope no, I am starting to get a bit impatient. I also have a cataract forming which I am wondering if that could be part of the reason for the not so good vision.

Thanks...Sharon

Hello,
I am writing on behalf of my sister. She had a severe injury to her eye in early December 2006. I am sorry to say but she delayed going to a doctor for nearly a month after the accident occured.

She has no health insurance and is being treated at a teaching hospital. Her surgeon has told her that her retina is detached.
He will operate but he predicts no improvement to her vision, the purpose of the operation is only to preserve the eyeball itself.

Her surgery has been scheduled and then resceduled twice now. The next scheduled date is February 20, 2007. We are receiving limited information and really don't know what to expect, even to the point of whether or not she will have to do the face down recovery. From what I've gathered on the net this is what she will have to do.

My question is this, I have found a home medical equipment company that rents a face cushion for lying on the bed, mirror (for tv viewing) and a chair with face down head rest.

Has anyone used any of this equipment? and did you find it helpful? I have e-mailed the company for pricing and other information. Any information at all about this surgery and recovery would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Connie

Obviously I'm no expert, but while we're waiting for one, just to let you know we care, the cataract forming probably is having some effect on your vision. I believe you're the one who said you have some swelling, retinal or macular edema, I believe they call it. Sometimes a steroid injection right into the eyeball is used. Mine was Kennalogg, about which I couldn't find much if anything on the internet, so it must be fairly new. There's different kinds. Maybe they didn't want to put you through too much and decided to just wait. (What do I know?) You have to sign a consent form, of course, and have anesthetic drops.

Connie, I think I'd wait, about getting all the special equipment for your sister without the advice of her doctors and people who've had this done. There may even be other equipment companies which would have things she would like better. I don't think I'd like watching TV with a mirror.

Maybe someone here will talk to you who's been through this. I really haven't been through it yet.

Dear Eagle,

Thank you for your reply regarding my sisters Vitrectomy. Tomorrow is the surgery, we are hoping for the best.

Connie

Hi Connie,
I had a vitrectomy for a macular hole just over two years ago, and had to do the face down recovery for 2 weeks. I did rent the equipment, and found it very useful. I rented the chair which allowed me to sit, but with my head down, and it allowed me to be upright. I also had the mirror which I kept on the floor by my chair, and was able to watch tv with it. I spent most of my time lying on the bed, with the attachment like a massage rest for my face. I put it at the end of the bed, and had my feet at the head of the bed because I couldn't attach it near the headboard. Eating is quite tricky because it is hard to see what you are eating with your head down! I drank everything through a straw. I had lots of help, my husband was home to cook for me, and friends brought meals. I listened to cd's and played solitaire, and watched tv. But before I knew it the two weeks was over, and my vision was improved. It still isn't perfect, but it would have gotten much worse if I hadn't had the surgery. I would be pleased to answer any questions you have. I can't quite understand why you don't have too much information from your doctor. I wrote down all my questions and wouldn't leave the doctor's office until they were all answered! Good luck to your sister. Liane.

Eagle and Liane and everyone.

My sisters surgery was yesterday evening, they began around 5:30 p.m. and finished at 9:00 p:m: last night.

The surgeon told us that the retina reattached very nicely and was almost flat. He said it couldn't have went better and that the rest was in the Good Lords Hands.

This morning she had to see the doctor for a followup and she was able to see him holding his fingers up and tell him how many he had extended. He was very impressed.
He said that there was some deterioration around the bottom of the eye and he felt like she would probably not get much preriphreial vision because of that.

We are pleased and hopeful that the prognosis is better that we had been told before. It's a waiting game now.

We did rent the face down support system and it is very helpful, thank you for your information Liane.

I will be staying with her quite a bit over the next few weeks as her husband drives a mail truck, delivering loads of mail from state to state and will be gone 4 nights out of the week. I don't want her to be alone and she wants me to be there with her.

I'll keep you posted on her recovery.

Thanks again for your kind words.

Connie

Thank you for the update, keep us posted. I am interested to see how your sister makes out with her face down positioning. May I ask how old she is? I was 52 at the time of my surgery.
I laughed when you mentioned about the doctor holding up his fingers to check her vision. That is what my doctor did too, and I remember thinking,all those years of medical school and the test he uses is the old "how many fingers am I holding up!" by the way, when he did it to me the day after surgery, I couldn't see his fingers, so good for your sister! One other tip for her, I found a scarf tied around my hair kept it out of my eyes while my head was down. Cheers. L.

April 14,

So she could see immediately following the vitrectomy. But not everyone can?

I remember the surgeon holding up fingers after my cataract surgeries. So how's she doing now?