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I am almost afraid to ask. Has anyone experienced a retinal pucker? Or fold, I think that is the other term used. I have glaucoma and had the surgery in both eyes. During same surgery, had cataract surgery.
Right eye has been the problem. It has been almost 10 years since the surgery and am now having more vision problems than ever. I see a glaucoma specialist and more recently a retina specialist. Pretty sure surgery will be scheduled soon.
It's the unknown that is really worrying me. When I had the glaucoma surgery, I did not realize I would end up with this problem.
My left eye is doing very well, vision is nearly perfect.
I'm probably not presenting this very well. Anything you can offer in the way of advice, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
I am almost afraid to ask. Has anyone experienced a retinal pucker? Or fold, I think that is the other term used. I have glaucoma and had the surgery in both eyes. During same surgery, had cataract surgery.
Right eye has been the problem. It has been almost 10 years since the surgery and am now having more vision problems than ever. I see a glaucoma specialist and more recently a retina specialist. Pretty sure surgery will be scheduled soon.
It's the unknown that is really worrying me. When I had the glaucoma surgery, I did not realize I would end up with this problem.
My left eye is doing very well, vision is nearly perfect.
I'm probably not presenting this very well. Anything you can offer in the way of advice, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
I have a macular pucker in my right eye. It formed in the healing process of a major retina tear in that eye in 2002. I've had tears repaired by laser in both eyes.
My understanding is that a retinal pucker is only an issue if it is in the area of the macula, from which comes your sharp central vision. Mine developed slowly over a couple of years and I never noticed it until I covered my left eye for some reason, perhaps to check for right eye floaters, and was almost shocked to see that sides of buildings were no longer straight, but bowed slightly. And images were generally slightly distorted compared to my left eye. In an instant I discovered that the vision in my right eye had been damaged by the tear and its aftermath. That was because it was close to the macula. Very fortunately, the tears in my left eye were not and my left eye vision is still perfect, though nearsighted as it has been since about 1962.
I had not noticed the distortion before that day because, without realizing it, I had automatically begun to favor my left eye. Essentially, I was using my left eye almost exclusively and my brain ignoring the right. As a result of this, eventually my right eye muscles got "lazy" and didn't even bother to try to focus straight ahead. So now that eye looks off to the right much of the time. I had seen that in other people from time to time over the years and always wondered why or what caused it. Now I know - one possible cause, at least.
The retina wrinkling was pretty much done by the time I discovered it and it hasn't gotten any worse. In fact, if anything it may have improved a little. That eye is still very usable for anything but reading fine or small detail, so I could still function if that's all I had.
My ophthalmologist told me during my last visit that the scar tissue causing the distortion could now be removed, but she didn't recommend that surgery. And I want no part of it as long as I can still see. Fortunately my left eye it still perfect, so my right remains on light duty, if not vacation.
I am almost afraid to ask. Has anyone experienced a retinal pucker? Or fold, I think that is the other term used. I have glaucoma and had the surgery in both eyes. During same surgery, had cataract surgery.
Right eye has been the problem. It has been almost 10 years since the surgery and am now having more vision problems than ever. I see a glaucoma specialist and more recently a retina specialist. Pretty sure surgery will be scheduled soon.
It's the unknown that is really worrying me. When I had the glaucoma surgery, I did not realize I would end up with this problem.
My left eye is doing very well, vision is nearly perfect.
I'm probably not presenting this very well. Anything you can offer in the way of advice, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Yes, I have retinal pucker in both eyes, and have had it for more than five years. It has been stable - fingers crossed! - and each time I see the retinal specialist we do a retinal scan to see if and how it is advancing.
I can't tell you about the pucker surgery because thus far I haven't needed it, and I hope I never will.
I had a retinal tear and the fear was it could detach. Fortunately, it was just a tear and I had surgery and everything is fine. The thing I learned, is if you start having vision problems like wavy lines or flashes, get to a doctor ASAP. If the retina detaches, you don't have much time before you can permanently lose vision in the eye. They need to do surgery quickly to save the vision.
Exactly. I had a PVD, posterior vitreous detachment. It's a perfectly normal part of aging (vitreous shrinks and pulls away from the retina), but it can also result in a torn retina. Mine didn't, but when I first had the flashes and floaters (sudden onset), I called the local eye center at the hospital and asked what to do.
They said, "Come over now." So, I dropped everything and went. They did a full exam, said it was a "normal" PVD, but some of these PVDs end up tearing the retina (the retina sticks to the vitreous as it shrinks). So glad I went and had the exam. I learned what to look for in the future. So far, my other eye hasn't had any of these symptoms (flashes and floaters), but at least I'll know what to expect and to get it checked ASAP if it happens again on a sudden basis.
As other posters mentioned, the "curtain" effect is most likely a sign of a torn retina, and getting to an ER ASAP is mandatory.
Exactly. I had a PVD, posterior vitreous detachment. It's a perfectly normal part of aging (vitreous shrinks and pulls away from the retina), but it can also result in a torn retina. Mine didn't, but when I first had the flashes and floaters (sudden onset), I called the local eye center at the hospital and asked what to do.
They said, "Come over now." So, I dropped everything and went. They did a full exam, said it was a "normal" PVD, but some of these PVDs end up tearing the retina (the retina sticks to the vitreous as it shrinks). So glad I went and had the exam. I learned what to look for in the future. So far, my other eye hasn't had any of these symptoms (flashes and floaters), but at least I'll know what to expect and to get it checked ASAP if it happens again on a sudden basis.
As other posters mentioned, the "curtain" effect is most likely a sign of a torn retina, and getting to an ER ASAP is mandatory.
There's an important distinction here to be made between torn retina and detached retina. The "curtain" effect is most likely a sign of a detached retina and is much more serious. A simple tear will usually not produce that right away, but will if it is left untreated, in which case blood will seep in behind the retina between it and the eyeball. Then it will begin to fall away and come down (detachment), blocking your vision - the curtain effect. That's why it is so important to laser the tear right away - to prevent detachment from happening.
For simple tears, you won't see the "curtain" - just a sudden field of floaters. In my case(s), I woke up with a sea of tiny "spots before my eyes". The spots are, of course, little droplets of blood. But those simple tears can and likely will progress to detachment and "the curtain" if left untreated, requiring a nightmare of much more complicated treatment.
I can certainly understand your fears. A year ago next month I woke up over the weekend with hazy vision in my left eye and thought I may have contracted a conjunctivitis. By Sunday night the haze was not resolving so when I got to work Monday morning which I work as an R.N. in a VA primary care clinic I called over to the eye clinic to speak with one of the doctors there as I know them pretty well as I triage many patients to that clinic because at this point I too suspected retinal detachment. The eye doctor I spoke with told me to come over and he would take a look at my eye, so I headed to the eye clinic which was a 5 minute drive away.
After having around 6 eye doctors evaluate my eye I was told to call my SO to come get me as he needed to take me to Mass Eye & Ear in Boston as they suspected which was later confirmed in Boston that I had a condition called NAION aka non arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy. This is a condition that causes the blood supply to the optic nerve to be cut off which causes permanent damage to the optic nerve resulting in permanent vision loss. There is no definitive cause or treatment for this condition, although some neuro-ophthalmology specialists will prescribe high dose steroids but this is a controversial treatment and the ME&E doctors will not utilize for this reason since they believe the risks outweigh the possible benefits. Actually, I was rather lucky that I did not have the more serious condition called Giant Cell Arteritis which causes more severe bilateral vision loss.
So I left work on a Friday looking forward to having the weekend off with 20/20 corrected vision in my left eye and by Monday night I was 20/500.
Yes, life is very different for me today than it was a year ago and I have to focus on preservation of my vision in my right eye which includes wearing polycarbonate lenses from the minute I wake up until I go to bed. Fortunately my vision is still good enough that I can work and drive, but my left eye now does not respond to light like it previously did so I will not drive in the dark and my time being in places with fluorescent lighting has to be limited as this is blinding for me. But life goes on, I joined a support group on FB and communicate with others who share this same condition which has been very helpful, and just do just do my best to maintain my overall health and try to live my life to the fullest without fear because holding onto fear only raises my BP and that can potentiate a NAION event in my good eye.
Thank you all for the information that you have shared.
My situation is so unusual that doctors seem stumped and most have backed away from doing anything.
There are not enough people that have even a little sight (like me) around.
I have a situation I'm dealing with now in my bad (blind) eye. I'm going to start another thread on that but for so many of you, I feel your pain and just wanted to reach out to others who might be dealing with eye issues.
I really have no one to talk to about this. I am not one who is going to talk about my medical woes. Most people I know have good sight and/or have it corrected.
My whole family has perfect sight - not even glasses.
Since my surgery for a cataract which was done the old fashioned way (1992), I have been able to get 26 1/2 more years of sight and I do not take that lightly. My husband knows all this and before we got married, I made him go with me to the eye doctor and see the (grim) possible future predictions. He did not bail, thank God.
I only have the one eye and I am not trying to diagnose myself, just share stories of what others have been through.
Thanks again - just hoping for another 26 years of sight!! Made it this far.
Bette, thank you for sharing your story. To me, eyesight is probably the most important of all the senses we have. I wish you all good things in your issues with yours.
I called my eye doc and explained the most recent problem and he called the retinal specialist who in turn called me. I have an appointment with him June 26. I don't know if surgery will follow, or what.
One day at a time.
Thank you to those who answered my post.
The whole issue with the eyes has always put me behind others. Always a struggle from Day 1.
Always just wanted to be like the other kids; then like the other teens; then the other adults.
Kind of funny, thinking of the things that happened to me along the way. So, one night, I wanted to be "like everyone else" - haha - anyway, I go to this very popular bar/disco where people would stand in line to get in. (If anyone remembers Fort Lauderdale from the 70's/80's, it was called Brother Jim's). This night, I just went on my own (dumb move #1). While there, I fell down a staircase into some rocks (Dumb move #2 - I was not drunk at all - just didn't see the 2 stairs. Moral of the story - you just can't be like everyone else.
(I did not sue the place - dumb move #3). Today, people would do that.
I work so many hours a week just trying to get back to where we should be. Slowly but surely. But a normal person could probably do it in 50 hours rather than 90. Oh well.
I'm just down b/c of what the doctor told me yesterday (will do another thread on that).
But, I've also believed the eyes are so important and without sight, it's so hard obviously. I know there are tons of blind persons out there and boy, do I respect them. But, I'm not ready to join that club.
I only have the one eye and I am not trying to diagnose myself, just share stories of what others have been through.
........
You may not be trying to diagnosis yourself, but if you are not confident in your physicians you need to do some serious research and look elsewhere. If you are not sure how to do that, maybe this is the place to ask.
I am not sure how the stories of others help. I have avoided adding my list of woes which include a complete detachment, several surgeries, laser treatments, and another round of big floaters. My stories are not going to help you or anyone else feel better. Again, if there is anything positive I can add, it would be the recommendation to find top specialists. That is the only reason I can still drive and see with about 20:30 vision.
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Thanks to everyone!
