surgery question

[jballscalls]

greetings PA friends,

i have to undergo surgery soon for a retinal tear called a scleral buckle surgery. My question is i was reading some stuff my doc gave me and he said it will be locally anesthitized (sp?) with sedation, but that i'll pretty much be awake during it, but just very out of it.

anybody had a similar type of sedation, surgery, just curious about it?

[BillW]

I had Lasik surgery without sedation does that count?

[TJDave]

I chose to have a detached retina repaired with general anesthetic after the doc told me they were gonna basically pull out my eyeball and lay it on a tray.

I'm not normally squeamish but I elected to pass.

[BillW]

I chose to have a detached retina repaired with general anesthetic after the doc told me they were gonna basically pull out my eyeball and lay it on a tray.

I'm not normally squeamish but I elected to pass.

I was assuming that a laser was the instrument of choice when I made my post. :eek:

[Greyfox]

greetings PA friends,

i have to undergo surgery soon for a retinal tear called a scleral buckle surgery. My question is i was reading some stuff my doc gave me and he said it will be locally anesthitized (sp?) with sedation, but that i'll pretty much be awake during it, but just very out of it.

anybody had a similar type of sedation, surgery, just curious about it?

A local anesthetic means that he will "freeze" the nerves that would cause pain to the eye possibly with a topical application and then a needle.
Your eye is actually a lot larger than what you see of it.
Don't worry at all. Your Doctor will do a good job.
They will also give you enough sedation to make you extremely relaxed so that he can perform the operation.
Personally, I would prefer that to being totally "blacked out."
General anesthetics always carry more risk.
Just lay back and enjoy. Everything will be fine.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I need to be knocked out. I break out in a rash just as soon as I show up and they tell me to put some flimsy outfit on or start hooking me up to bags of fluid. The only part that sucks is waking up and the next day realizing how bad your throat/nose hurts from having a tube crammed into it.

General anasthesia all the way for me... what's the worst that can happen? I won't know because I'll still be sedate.

[TJDave]

I was assuming that a laser was the instrument of choice when I made my post. :eek:

The tear can be repaired with laser surgery but the buckle is sewn in. I believe it requires removal of the eyeball. At least that was true in my case.

They injected gas in my eyeball to assure proper healing of the retina. I had to lay on my stomach for two weeks. Pain in the a$$.

[Market Mover]

greetings PA friends,

i have to undergo surgery soon for a retinal tear called a scleral buckle surgery. My question is i was reading some stuff my doc gave me and he said it will be locally anesthitized (sp?) with sedation, but that i'll pretty much be awake during it, but just very out of it.

anybody had a similar type of sedation, surgery, just curious about it?

You have been diagnosed with a retinal tear/detachment PA friend. The retina is a very thin layer of tissue lining the posterior segment of the eye, but microscopically contains nine different layers that comprise the photoreceptors of the eyes (rods and cones) that are responsible for vision. The important thing is that this was diagnosed at examination in time for treatment with a scleral buckle. The purpose is to get the retina closer to the part where it detached, and hopefully reduce the amount of fluid that has seeped underneath, thereby allowing the retina to gainfully reattach itself.

Retinal detachments/tears unfortunately occur at a higher rate in very near-sighted (high myopia) eyes. You probably have a good amount of near-sightedness and wear your glasses or contact lenses for all driving/distance tasks.

Since there are no pain receptors in the retina, this tear was not a symptomatically painful occurrence; which is another reason why yearly eye examinations are very important. In this case, did you see significant flashes of lights or floating spots in your vision? A break in the retinal pigmented epithelium would have spilled the pigmented cells into the vitreal cavity, thereby causing an awareness of increased floaters in the field of vision. This would be a uniocular experience (one eye), as it is rare to have simultaneous retinal detachments/tears in both eyes.

The anesthesia is necessary because the scleral buckle will be sewn into the conjunctiva (white part of the eye, sort of like a protective outer coat/layer), which does contain conjunctival nerve endings and therefore can sense pain. You will be placed on several eyedrops to reduce the swelling and reduce the risk of infection. Make sure you do follow the instructions carefully, and the retinal surgeon will follow-up with you on subsequent visits. If you notice any more significant flashes of lights/floating spots/or even a little curtain veil symptom ( like a curtain hanging over a part of the visual field), consult your eye doctor immediately.

No worries PA Friend. The doctor is trying to preserve your vision in this eye. Scleral buckle surgeries are designed to save the vision in the affected eye. There's nothing like trying to make out the odds on the totalizator board across the infield with one eye...(no pun intended)..

Hope this helps.

[Market Mover]

I had Lasik surgery without sedation does that count?


Lasik surgery involves the front of the eye, a portion called the cornea. In this case, we are referring about surgery to the back of the eye, called the retina. Most corneal surgeries can be done with topical anesthesia (eyedrops that numb the highly sensitive cornea).

[Market Mover]

The tear can be repaired with laser surgery but the buckle is sewn in. I believe it requires removal of the eyeball. At least that was true in my case.

They injected gas in my eyeball to assure proper healing of the retina. I had to lay on my stomach for two weeks. Pain in the a$$.


The buckle is indeed sewn in. Most cases involve the sewn-in buckle left permanently. In some cases, it is removed after sufficient healing. In cases where there is massive complications including infection, it has to be removed.

Anesthesia has to be used because they are sewing into connective tissue. It's like stitches for an open gash on your skin. They gotta numb it up somehow or else you're going to feel it. Now imagine getting stitches around the white of your eye.

The gas injected is sulfur hexafluoride or perfluoropropane. They can also use silicone oil. This is because when a vitrectomy is done (removal of the jelly-like substance in front of the retina that fills 70% of the cavity of the eye, nourishing it and holding its shape), the eye has to be kept inflated with something. The silicone oil can be removed after surgery and after the retina has been healed adequately.

[Market Mover]

I need to be knocked out. I break out in a rash just as soon as I show up and they tell me to put some flimsy outfit on or start hooking me up to bags of fluid. The only part that sucks is waking up and the next day realizing how bad your throat/nose hurts from having a tube crammed into it.

General anasthesia all the way for me... what's the worst that can happen? I won't know because I'll still be sedate.


General anesthesia is not generally used for retinal surgery/vitrectomies with scleral buckles...but some elect it because of previously known pain thresholds...

[Market Mover]

I was assuming that a laser was the instrument of choice when I made my post. :eek:


Lasers can be used to seal up the tear (like thumbtackking a rip/tear that occurred in a section of wallpaper/wall) so fluid does not accumulate underneath and start to pull the retina off. Small tears can become big tears and big problems if not addressed appropriately. A retinal specialist would make the call, as some retinal holes/macular holes actually seal itself and treatment can be avoided. Again, judgment calls done by the retinal surgeon are your best bet (no puns intended)...

[JustRalph]

It is amazing what you can ask about on this board

and get answers like those above........

This place is a trip...............

[jballscalls]

You have been diagnosed with a retinal tear/detachment PA friend. The retina is a very thin layer of tissue lining the posterior segment of the eye, but microscopically contains nine different layers that comprise the photoreceptors of the eyes (rods and cones) that are responsible for vision. The important thing is that this was diagnosed at examination in time for treatment with a scleral buckle. The purpose is to get the retina closer to the part where it detached, and hopefully reduce the amount of fluid that has seeped underneath, thereby allowing the retina to gainfully reattach itself.

Retinal detachments/tears unfortunately occur at a higher rate in very near-sighted (high myopia) eyes. You probably have a good amount of near-sightedness and wear your glasses or contact lenses for all driving/distance tasks.

Since there are no pain receptors in the retina, this tear was not a symptomatically painful occurrence; which is another reason why yearly eye examinations are very important. In this case, did you see significant flashes of lights or floating spots in your vision? A break in the retinal pigmented epithelium would have spilled the pigmented cells into the vitreal cavity, thereby causing an awareness of increased floaters in the field of vision. This would be a uniocular experience (one eye), as it is rare to have simultaneous retinal detachments/tears in both eyes.

The anesthesia is necessary because the scleral buckle will be sewn into the conjunctiva (white part of the eye, sort of like a protective outer coat/layer), which does contain conjunctival nerve endings and therefore can sense pain. You will be placed on several eyedrops to reduce the swelling and reduce the risk of infection. Make sure you do follow the instructions carefully, and the retinal surgeon will follow-up with you on subsequent visits. If you notice any more significant flashes of lights/floating spots/or even a little curtain veil symptom ( like a curtain hanging over a part of the visual field), consult your eye doctor immediately.

No worries PA Friend. The doctor is trying to preserve your vision in this eye. Scleral buckle surgeries are designed to save the vision in the affected eye. There's nothing like trying to make out the odds on the totalizator board across the infield with one eye...(no pun intended)..

Hope this helps.

yeah i'm severly near sided and have worn contact lenses for the last 15 years until switching back to glasses full time about 2 months ago.

yeah i realize my other option is eventually to go blind, so the surgery is a no brainer. i think i'd prefer sedation as opposed to general anesthesia and being knocked out.

I think I do get to wear a pirate patch for a few days afterwards, so that should impress the ladies.

it would be interesting to try calling races with one eye. only time i've had to do that was when i knocked my contact out of my eye as they were going up the backstretch, was difficult, but got it done!

[46zilzal]

Best to discuss anesthetic and relaxants with the anesthesiologist.

[jballscalls]

had the buckle surgery yesterday. dr said it went well. very uncomfortable and have double vision. lots of fluid and blood coming out of the eye today, but feel a little better. pretty sick this afternoon.

but post op, dr said everything looks good, and just from this morning i notice a slight difference in the double vision reduction. he said that would stop once the local anesthetic wears off.

anyways, my mom and girlfriend have been taking care of me, trying to relax and get better, hopefully back to work in a couple weeks!

[Mike_412]

Glad to hear everything worked out. Best of luck during the healing process. Anything involving the eyes is always a bit scary.

Aren't you the guy that calls at Portland Meadows? I've caught your stuff on HRTV in the past and think you call a fantastic race. Keep up the great work.

You should take advantage of the double vision while you can and have sex with your girl. You'll think you're having a threesome.

[JustRalph]

Good luck, sounds like you are in good hands

[PaceAdvantage]

Get well soon Jason!

[bigmack]

http://imadivaprincess.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/crueleyechart.jpg


What do you see in the last line and describe it to us in detail. :eek:

Play the guitar. The resonance will soothe your spirit. :ThmbUp:

Don't rush the time to heal.

[HUSKER55]

Hey bigmack, how do I enlarge that bottom line
:D

[Grits]

Glad things went well for you, JB. I have a friend who had this same surgery about three months ago. And recovered well, doing great now.

Nausea can get you when the anesthesia wears off. Some of us do narcotics better than others. I, too, am not one of them.

Let mom and your girlfriend continue taking good care of you.

Feel better each day.;)

[jballscalls]

thanks guys, already doing better on day two of recovery, seeing shapes and colors better in the already, but very blurry.