Randall V. Wong, M.D., Retinal Specialist
I believe exercise after sustaining a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) to be safe. Many doctors recommend a "no exercise" period after a PVD to decrease the risk of retinal tear and retinal detachment. This does not make sense to me. PVD Causes Retinal Tear A retinal tear may occur after a posterior vitreous detachment, but in my opinion, the chance of a tear … [Read more...]
My idea of a successful operation to repair a retinal detachment is when I don't have to operate a second or third time. It's not whether or not your vision improves...that is actually beyond my control! Vision can only improve if we first reattach the retina. In other words, visual improvement is a by-product of successful reattachment of the retina. Anatomic … [Read more...]
There are many reasons why you may not see well after silicone oil is used for your retinal detachment eye surgery. Remember, retinal detachments are potentially blinding conditions and silicone oil is often used for repeated detachments. Did Your Macula Detach? One major concern with every retinal detachment is whether or not the macula becomes detached. The macula … [Read more...]
Most retinal detachments do not require emergency surgery. I operated this Saturday morning, however, to repair a retinal detachment for a patient who should not wait through the weekend for the operation. In this case it was an "emergency." First Symptom of Retinal Detachment Often, as with my patient (RR), there is a history of flashes and/or floaters preceding … [Read more...]
Routine eye examinations looking for retinal detachments are not necessary. Unlike diabetic retinopathy where the probability is quite high that every patient with diabetes develops the disease, a detachment does not happen often in the general population and usually is associated with symptoms. Patients are often worried about developing a retinal detachment. … [Read more...]
Silicone oil is used for recurrent retinal detachments or complicated retinal detachments including PVR (proliferative vitreoretinopathy). It can be a valuable tool to prevent blindness. Most retinal detachments are caused by a retinal tear, or hole, in the retina. In either case, this allows for communication between the vitreous cavity and the potential space … [Read more...]
A vitreous hemorrhage may be caused by a retinal tear. Sometimes there is so much blood in the eye that direct examination is impossible and we can only guess at the most likely cause. It is the most difficult situation for me to handle as a doctor. Patients lose significant vision as the blood in the middle of the eye physically blocks all light from hitting the … [Read more...]
Decreased vision and double vision (aka diplopia) after retinal detachment surgery may occur, yet is not common. The perception of "double" is more common than actually seeing two of everything. There are several causes for really seeing two images following retinal detachment surgery. Scleral Buckle May Cause Diplopia A common method to fix a retinal detachment … [Read more...]
It is not uncommon for the symptoms of flashes to persist after a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD. Flashes and floaters, common symptoms of a PVD, may also be warning signs of a possible retinal tear. Retinal tears can cause a retinal detachment. Do persistent flashes mean increased risk for a tear or retinal detachment? Ways to Stimulate the Retina There are … [Read more...]
There are many reasons why your sight may be poor following retinal detachment surgery. Obviously, it is possible that the disease actually led to loss of vision as retinal detachments can lead to blindness. There are, however, other less serious reasons for loss of vision following retinal detachment surgery. Scleral Buckle for Retinal Detachment Repair A scleral … [Read more...]
