Reply With QuoteSo you have been to A&E and you have been turned away/told to come back?
Does anyone on here have any experience of detached retina's? My wife only has good vision in one eye and, unfortunately, the retina became detached this weekend. We are trying to get her into hospital asap but it appears that they give priority to partially detached retinas (I assume the success rate is higher). Does anyone have any info on success rate of this op or the limitations in eyesight that may exist should an op be successful.
So you have been to A&E and you have been turned away/told to come back?
When I went to A&E with a scratch on my cornea they told me to go to an opticians as they're better equiped to deal with eye trauma, however, in this instance both A&E and the opticians would only diagnose the problem. Repair of a detached retina is carried out by an ophthalmologist and you need a referral from GP or Optician to see one I think.Originally Posted by scottbombedout
Well I'm on an emergency list at our local eye clinic and can be seen straight away. Out of hours the advice is to go to A&E where the on call opthalmologist is brought in. A detached retina is a medical emergency in anyones book.
How can an optician deal with eye trauma?
Sorry I should be clearer with terminology. When I went to A&E in Aberdeen I was advised that I should visit an Optomotrist at the Opticians as they'd be better equipped to assess damage to the eye and the impact on vision than the people at A&E. I may have worded poorly as it was probably that they were better equipped to diagnose than the A&E not treat. Either way I believe both an Optometrist and A&E doc can both refer to Opthamologist can they not?
In this instance it sounds like the issue has been diagnosed so getting access to the opthamologist is the problem.
To answer your specific question re success rates etc Brigant the following links may be of use?
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Retinal...Treatment.aspx
http://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health-ey...nal-detachment
Last edited by SimplyCol; 26th May 2014 at 11:04.
20 odd years ago I was suffering from a detatching retina in my left eye, no pain whatsoever, but it seemed like I was looking through a letterbox. After a couple of days not understanding the problem, I went to see my GP. He did a quick test by standing behind me and slowly lowering a pen and asking me when it appeared in my field of vision. As soon as he had done this he sat down and explained the problem & promptly rang for an ambulance. An hour later I was in a gown in hospital and booked in for an operation that evening having met the consultant, and signed the relevant paperwork.
The operation lasted 5 hours & was a complete success although it left my eye more short-sighted than the right. I'm sorry to say though, that as far as I was aware from all those years ago, if the retina detatches completely then it is impossible to re-attach. I hope I'm wrong & medical procudures I'm sure have moved on a great deal since then, but I would get her back to hospital ASAP. Good luck & I sincerely hope things turn out OK.
Not clear from your post: if the detached retina in your wife's good eye? If so, it is a medical emergency and she should be seeing an ophthalmologist today. Have you been fobbed off by A&E or the out of hours service? Go back and make some noise if so.
Good luck, hope she gets treatment ASAP.
This happened to my mum recently, she had a torn retina in one eye (not completely detached) she was checked into hospital the day she went to see the GP and they fixed it with laser surgery that evening. There were no complications and she had her vision back to normal within a couple of weeks.
Later similar happened to her other eye but the retina became completely detached, they needed to do a more involved procedure where the cut into her eye and inject a "bubble" of some sort of gel to hold the retina in place to allow it to heal, she ended up with a few cataracts from this but these were fixed with a couple of trips to get them lasered but ended up being able to see perfectly well out of it but it took a couple of months on this eye.
They give priority to detachments that havent pulled away the macular(central retina). A macular off detachment pretty much precludes the eye from seeing very well again.
The surgery success rate depends on how much retina is torn, what location of tear and how well the treatment takes. Treatment can be in the form of laser, cryotherapy or full blown surgery with scleral buckle(a piece of silicon used to stitch the retina too which sits on white of eye). The last procedure usually leaves you more short sighted and increases risk of cataract.
All detachments ought to be seen that day and route of referral different in different areas. Either way if in doubt get to casualty.
Last edited by topopman; 26th May 2014 at 16:36.
As above.
There's more clinical terms there than the layman would know - sounds like a work answer to me!
I have a bit of a battle with my local dept when trying to get detachments in but bottom line is that until it is properly assessed by the VR surgeons it is an emergency and needs to be seen asap.
Weekends, especially those with a BH on the end are not great times. We have to send patients to a neighbouring county on a sat pm as we have no clinical cover in our town!
I'd be making sure they have an on call Ophthalmologist available and that they have the kit present (and working!) and then going and not leaving until I'd been seen. If these things aren't available keep trying the next nearest hospital until you do. That may be a bit tricky in Aberdeen I grant you but Ninewells in Dundee is pretty good IIRC from my time oop north.
Best of luck and I hope the damage is minor.
Thanks for all your replies. Surgery today, keeping fingers crossed.
Crossed for you.
Should you need a recommendation for a practice to go too afterwards let me know where you are and I'll see who is where.
Best of luck, hope it all goes well.
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