Detached Retina Surgey

My sister did in high school. I cant really remember how long she was recovering. But if she can do it you'll be ok

I had this about 3 years ago. I had the surgery and had to lay on my back for a week or two. I had complications where the pressure in my eye was very high after surgery and had to go the the doctor's office every day and draw fluid out to reduce the pressure. About a week later had another surgery and had to lay face down for a week. I ended up completely blind in that eye. They say that is very rare and I'm sure you will be fine as most people are after surgery. My case is very unusual and the high pressure destroyed my eye. You'll be fine. Good luck!

This exact thing happened to me in 2009.

Your recovery experience will depend a lot on the location of the detachment.

IMX, the procedure was like this (all instruments used are very small):

-- A tiny (<= 1 mm) slit is made in the side of the eyeball, below the edge of the cornea

-- A tiny instrument (essentially a vacuum cleaner) is inserted, and the vitreous humor -- jocularly called the “jellyball” -- is sucked out. The eyeball is then re-inflated

-- Other instruments are used to manipulate the retina back into place against the inside curvature of the eyeball. This is a difficult and extremely delicate thing to do -- the retina is a single layer of cells, and it has the consistency of wet toilet paper. There must be not even the slightest wrinkle in the retina, and there must be absolutely no damage to any retina cell

-- Once the retina is back in place, a laser is inserted, and is used to make tiny burns, everywhere they are needed. When the burns (eventually) heal, they leave scars -- essentially spot-welds -- that hold the retina in place.

-- The eyeball is re-inflated, using (at the doc’s option) air or silicone oil

-- For two weeks post-op, you will be required to maintain your eyeball at a 90-degree angle to the ground -- you must always be looking straight down. In actual practice, you will be required to spend two weeks lying prone, with your face on a special pillow provided for this purpose. You will be allowed out of bed for 15 minutes, 4 X per day, for eating and bathroom breaks.

Failure to follow this regimen can result in re-detachment of the retina.

-- You will be prohibited from any reading, and from viewing any video screen, for [approximately] 4-6 weeks. The reason for this is that reading, or viewing video -- or even still images -- involves extremely tiny but jerky eyeball movements, and these can interfere with your retinal spot-welds, and possibly even cause them to fail.

-- You will be prescribed at least two, and possibly three, different eye drops, and a pretty rigid schedule for each.

-- One of these medications may contain -- forgive me if I spell it incorrectly -- Prednisolone. This is to combat post-op inflammation. WARNING: This medication is metabolized very slowly, and can, in some cases, induce nearly uncontrollable hyperphagia (abnormal desire to eat). IMX, it is easy to control, as long as you have been forewarned.

-- If your doc chose to use silicone oil (instead of air) to re-inflate your eyeball after the laser, then approximately 3 months post-op, the oil will be replaced with saline.

ATTENTION: My surgery was fourteen years ago. It is probable (but not necessarily certain) that protocols, both surgical and post-op, have changed / improved by now. As always, YMMV.

I wish you luck.

Had procedure done at LSU eye center in NO 30 years ago.

Same bldg as University Hospital, teaching hospital.

If I had a dollar for every student who examined me pre op with that big marble looking lens they carried in the pocket of their lab coat. . .

Released next day. Before release in a room with about 20 interns, resident etc. Female surgeon, I think dept. head enters and others parted like the Red Sea. She actually tossed her coat to one of the underlings.. Asked, after telling me everything good, if her students could examine me. All good.

Laser treatments post op to "weld" the retina back in place. Everything still good.

Do everything they say post op.

Happened to my dad when he was in college. Had his eyes wrapped up for six months - both of them wrapped so he wouldn't strain the damaged eye while it was healing by searching all over with his good eye.

Now, consider that was in 1950. I think things have improved significantly since then though. Judging by others' remarks it sounds like you should have a pretty fast and complete recovery.

Hope all goes well.