My Retina Journey: Six Months Out From Retina Detachment Surgery

I'm writing this blog to try to help fellow retinal disease patients who are undergoing retinal detachment and repair surgery to gain from my own experience some idea of what one patient experienced as his recovery progressed.  I am not a medical professional and this blog is not intended to serve as medical advice or as a substitute for appropriate counsel from a doctor or other licensed professional. I am just one patient and my experiences may not be typical or representative of what other patients can expect.  I advise you to consult a licensed and trained medical doctor for medical advice


I had my six month follow-up visit with my retina surgeon and he says that my retina is looking good and there is no sign of a re-detachment.  He recommended that I make an appointment with my ophthalmologist to have a YAG laser procedure to clear the PCO (posterior capsule opacification) that is causing some cloudy vision in that eye.  My general vision in that eye is like looking through a dirty window.  I can watch television with that eye and read the wording on the screen about as well as with my left eye, sometimes better.  But the world in general looks clouded and less detailed than with my left eye.

At this point in time, my right eye, the one that had the detachment, has better vision, as measured by eye chart reading, than my other eye.  My right eye reads at about 20/30 while my left eye reads at about 20/50.  Of course, my left eye still needs cataract surgery to replace its clouded lens.

I've been able to drive since about the 12th week after surgery, and I haven't had any issues with driving safely in that stretch of time.  But I have difficulty reading street signs, so I am more comfortable driving in areas where I am familiar.

I've requested a referral to my ophthalmologist for the PCO laser procedure.  I'll update this blog after I see my ophthalmologist.