Floaterectomy in 2 weeks

[MinimedPumper07]

I will have a floaterectomy in 2 weeks. I am scared sh1tless. I have so many of them in my eyes I can hardly stand being outside in the daytime anymore. Has anyone had this surgery and how did it work out for you? Also over the past few weeks, I don't know if its because of spring or what not, but it seems like i am seeing new floaters. Do you think this will make any difference whatsoever?

[xMenace]

Peej had his for floaters a week ago. I'm sure he'll chime in.

It really is an easy procedure. I actually enjoyed it; it way way cool :cool:

[Mich]

Hi MMP,

I have now had 3 vitrectomies. I only stressed over the first one. I don't know if anyone could be more scared than me. I didn't even let the Optho touch my eyes to test for glaucoma. I worried for weeks about upcoming laser zaps.

They were all done in the hospital on an out-patient basis.

Well, guess what? They figured out that most of us are a tad nervous and they have the procedure down pat.Save all of your worrying until just before they start because they give you a sedative that left both John the Menace and Me "there, interested and not giving a fig" that they were working on our eyes. Sounds hard to believe, but it was true. I joked and chatted with the operating room crew including the optho and the anesthesiologist, and was even aware and amazed that I didn't care. After the procedures, they gave me an antidote which instantly reversed the sedative. Without the 22 pound patch (just kidding) on my eye, I could've played tennis. I did go home and fall asleep from the worrying and stress though. :T

Some people are so relaxed (or they use a different sedative) that they doze through the whole thing.

Seriously, for me a small dental filling is more stressful, comparatively.

And PS: It's the same with cataract surgery.

Mich

[MinimedPumper07]

did u guys have the cataract at the same time? and why would you have 3 vitrectomies? Did they mess one up?

[MinimedPumper07]

also what was the outcome? do you guys still see floaters?

[xMenace]

I joked and chatted with the operating room crew including the optho and the anesthesiologist, and was even aware and amazed that I didn't care.

As I was climbing onto the slab ... operating table, I told the team in my seriousest voice "I want some extra stitches please!" They all looked at my like I was crazy and one asked "why?" I responded "because it's Halloween in a few days and I want to look good!" :)

The drugs are amazing.

[xMenace]

also what was the outcome? do you guys still see floaters?

Mine was for retinal hemmorhaging. I gained some. But they are by no means bothersome.

Here's my before and after.
http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/attachments/type-1-diabetes/3025d1205032599-anasthesia-and-diabetes-before.jpghttp://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/attachments/type-1-diabetes/3026d1205032612-anasthesia-and-diabetes-after.jpg

The before was actually about 50% worse than this. I couldn't see any letters on the charts, not even the big one. The after is not quite as good but not much worse. There's some wonkiness I can't draw. A few extra blind spots of you can imagine that. But remember I had my retina hoovered. I barely maintained my 20/20.

[MinimedPumper07]

Was all that floaters or also other stuff? Also did you see all those just by looking straight ahead, or did you need to look down then up really quickly? When I look down and up really quickly, I see tons of floaters, but not that many.

How could you live your life with that many? Wasn't it depressing? I am super depressed and I don't think I have half that many. Also what do you mean when you said you gained some? That certainly doesn't look like you gained any, rather lost 99.99% of them.

[xMenace]

Was all that floaters or also other stuff? Also did you see all those just by looking straight ahead, or did you need to look down then up really quickly? When I look down and up really quickly, I see tons of floaters, but not that many.

How could you live your life with that many? Wasn't it depressing? I am super depressed and I don't think I have half that many. Also what do you mean when you said you gained some? That certainly doesn't look like you gained any, rather lost 99.99% of them.

The center was a large stationary clot, Around that was the moving stuff. There was a lot of swishing.

It was very tough and very stressful. I knew the blood could be removed, but I didn't know whether my sight would be saved. Every morning I woke up I prayed for a miracle before I opened my eyes. I was totally depressed by the time I made it to the bathroom. I had the condition about 10 weeks, but only the last three or four were that bad. The others weren't good, but I could see to work.

I could actually drive ok. You only need center vision in one eye. I did have quite a bit of perriferal left in the bleeding one. Only once did I run into trouble. I drove my son to hockey practice, and while there the power went out. I could not see enough in total darkness and phoned my wife to come get us. That was the last time I drove at night, and I didn't drive much at all in the day either.

Before this I had no floaters. Afterwards, I do have some. There was lots of hoovering and lasering.

[MinimedPumper07]

So you do see more than that one floater in the picture? Also why did you need lasering? Is it because you had complications from vitrectomy?

[xMenace]

So you do see more than that one floater in the picture? Also why did you need lasering? Is it because you had complications from vitrectomy?


I assume it was to seal the bleeding vessels, but I really don't know. I never asked the surgeon. My optho only grunts. No complications at all.

I only see one floater in my eye on normal days. With the right background I can see very tiny ones too. Just as you are seeing more, so am I with the brighter days. Looking at the computer screen I can't see any.

[Mich]

Hi MMP,

I had three vitrectomies because just before the first one, my retina began a series of detachments. Just a little, on the outside, which made it look like a small black veil over the inner fifth of my vision. This happened about three days before my first, regular vitrectomy (to clear clouded vitreous) was scheduled.which was preceeded by an injection of Avastin to shrink the overgrown vessels. I later read some research papers saying that Avastin is sometimes associated with deetached retinas. Needless to say, they rushed me right into surgery the next day.

Before V #2 to fix it, I needed a cateract surgery for two reasons. 1. I've been a sailor most of my life and spent a lot of hours in the sun. 2. The gas bubble from V #1 (to hold the detached retina in place while it healed) caused my lens to cloud. That is basically what a cataract is, a clouded lens. In order to see what he was doing for #2, I had the cateract fixed two days before V #2. I could see like a champ, by the way, for two days with only a little veil on the inside (nasal) which showed to me on the outside of my eye.

Things went swimmingly for a month after that one. Then my retina, nasty little thing, let go in the middle. This made everything in the center look blurry to me. NUTS!

V #3 was a fiesta of treatments. He put a sdcleral buckle in my eyeball (seriously, I didn't care! and I was chatting away) and filled it with Silicone Oil. Whoa! wavy world now with that eye but the retina is holding well. He is waiting until he is sure the retina is attached before he takes the oil out. I see 20/200 in that eye with glasses with the oil in. That means I could easily watch tv with it6, but can't read small print on the screen.

By the way, a scleral buckle is a cinch to give the retina a "shelf" to attach to. Amazing what they can do now!

I don't think the detached retina was due to the surgery, but I have my suspicions as to the effects of the Avastin on my particular chemistry.

Just the same, I wouldn't care to repeat that three month period if it could be avoided.

Mich

PS Errors in this post are not becausse of vision, they are because I need to cut my nails.:)

[MinimedPumper07]

Wow you've been through a lot. And there were no complications in any of the surgeries? I am only wanting to get rid of these nasty floaters. They will not use oil or a buckle in my eye.

[xMenace]

Wow you've been through a lot. And there were no complications in any of the surgeries? I am only wanting to get rid of these nasty floaters. They will not use oil or a buckle in my eye.


In theory it should be routine. Most complications result from the eye condition rather than the surgery: weak retina and damaged blood vessels. I've not heard of any complications from the surgery; though that's always a risk.