Macular Pucker At 70 - Untreatable Due To Age?
Jan 17, 2016
Recently went for my annual checkup to my retinal specialist and the exam revealed a weakness in my right eye. Focus not clear in it, and wavy lines when reading a grid. I was surprised at the wavy lines!
Long story short was diagnosed with macular pucker in the bad eye. When questioned about the cause etc was told its from age (I am 70) and there was nothing that could be done to address the degradation in vision.
After researching the diagnosis it seemed there is a surgical procedure to address the scarring and improve vision, but although it may help it is not a complete cure.
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I would love to hear stories of how this surgery turned out for you.
Mine, diagnosed last Aug. and on a recheck found it to be slightly worse so they recommend surgery to fix it. I was seeing 20/40 and she didn't say what it was on this recent appt. I can tell it's worse.
Is it worth the risks of surgery to repair this? I've read that if it gets worse the correction will not work as well. If done early success is more likely.
The risks scare me. Infection, Retina detachment, double vision.....
How can I decide if this is right for me?
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I have had a macular pucker in my right eye for three years. It's not terrible, just very frustrating. It has been changing only a little from year to year.
I have not wanted to try vitreous surgery for epimacular membranes (macular pucker 'repair') because of the risk of some of the receptor cells being damaged as the scar tissue (epimacular membrane) is pulled off the macula. I don't want blind spots.
Yesterday an optometrist told me that I risk getting those same blind spots by not having the surgery - because the scar tissue is pulling the receptor cells away from their blood supply.
Is/are there any data or studies that compare the risks of having the surgery with the risks of not having the surgery - as regards damage to the macular cells?
I know that development of cataracts is a well known complication of having the surgery. And having to risk cataract surgery is another reason I have for resisting the pucker repair.
I am seriously considering getting glasses that adjust for my main problem (things look 15% bigger in my right eye). This condition, caused by the membrane, is called aniseikonia and can be compensated for by getting glasses that minimize the image in my right eye.
If the risks of surgery, and there are many, are greater than no surgery, special glasses will be my choice.
I've read that, on average, the surgery, if successful, gives you back half of the vision originally lost to the pucker. I think that means I would still need special glasses.
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I have had 5 surgeries on my left eye. It started with a basic cataract surgery that I had cloudy vision issues with, retina detachment, high eye pressure, laser to "fix the pressure issue which did not work, a tube was put in to decrease the pressure which worked and finally macular pucker surgery but the eye collapsed and the Dr. had to inject something into the eye to maintain the shape.... At this point, 2 months after the macular pucker surgery, my vision has not improved and I can only see faint images for distance and can't read anything.
The cataract and laser surgery was performed by an ophthalmologist and all of the other procedures was done by a retina specialist.
My retina Dr. is saying that the eye is still swollen and recovering from the "collapse" and it will take time before my sight begins to improve
Is there anyone who has had the same issues? Any suggestions?
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I can see 20/200 on my left eye, but after macular pucker surgery, i can only see light , but no image after 2 1/2 days .
Is that normal?
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Over a year ago I noticed a change in my vision. It was diagnosed as a macular pucker. I repeated a visit to a retina specialist and she recommends surgery to repair it at an early stage rather than waiting until it gets worse. I live in a large metro area with great doctors and the one I see has good marks.
I can see 20/40 in the bad eye and just fine in the other one. I do wear glasses though. I can tell that my vision is weird as it tries to blend the 2 eyes together but it doesn't stop me from living a normal life.
So, is it worth it to have the surgery like they say or can I just wait it out? If it never changes from what I have I will be fine. I fear the bad results possible with surgery. Why risk a bad outcome and a worse problem than I have now?
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On Jan 6 of this year my ophthalmologist advised me I had a macular pucker in my right eye. During that visit and prior to her diagnosis I received an eye chart test in which I noticed for the first time that straight lines were slightly wavy in the right eye.
My doctor’s diagnosis was that the same right eye had a cataract and I should see an eye surgeon to discuss possible surgery.
A month later I had the cataract surgery and was on a regimen of eye drops (pred Forte & Ilevro)
(one week prior and three weeks after the surgery).
On 3/21 (my last post op visit) I mentioned that the cataract surgery has improved the vision in the right eye but I have noticed the waviness of straight lines due to the macular pucker in the same eye seems a little more pronounced. I was given a test to see if the pucker had worsened and was told it had but only slightly (foveal thickness was 429 from 437 on Feb 6
I was also told to continue with the pred forte but increase to 3 times a day and the ilevro twice a day.
The doctor said it was possible the cataract surgery may have affected the pucker a little and that I should see a retinal specialist in several weeks to learn if the pucker size had changed further.
Am looking for a second opinion on this course of action and to see if anyone has had a similar experience with cataract surgery affecting a macular pucker
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Diagnosed with Macular Pucker. Retina specialist had me try steroid drops but did not help vision in fact made it worse. So surgery is now recommended. I would like to get a second opinion. Also have developed cataract in that eye and wonder if that can be done at the same time.
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Does your distorted vision make you feel wobbly or slightly off balance?
I have had one for a few months (perhaps longer, I wasn't aware of what it was) and my first diagnosis was anxiety.
So now I think the anxiety is making me feel off balance and shaky but could it just be the distorted vision that does this to me?
Do you ever get used to it? Mine is 20/40 and I have no decided on surgery.
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I had a vitrectomy for a macular pucker a year and a half ago. The main symptom was distortion. After the surgery, I had gray patches in my field of vision, which I hoped would go away in time, since the surgeon said it might take a year for full recovery. Needless to say, I still have the gray patches, cannot read with that eye, and the doctor brushed me off without ever explaining what was going on, as did two other ophthalmologists. I developed the expected cataract and had cataract surgery two days ago. It went fine and was "successful," but I still have patchy vision in that eye. Does anyone know anything about it and if anything can be done? I assume it is the damage to the receptors when the scar tissue was pulled up.
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I've had this for about five years now and it affects the vision in my right eye - straight lines are wavy, etc. The worst thing is the double vision I get, as the image I get from each eye is different. I've still to find anybody who has, or has had, this and would really like to compare notes with somebody about it.
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I am a 73 year old active male who was diagnosed with a macular pucker in my left eye a few years ago.
At that time I went to a retina specialist who said he would do the surgery but most people wait until they can no longer drive. Also the surgeon was my age and I don't want someone my age doing the surgery so I started seeing another retina specialist and she agreed that we would keep watching it and wait until it got worse. Last June when I saw her she said my vision in that eye is getting worse and if it continues to decline at the same rate of speed she would recommend the surgery in one year. She also gave me an eye chart and said to check it once a month and if getting worse to call her. Well it has gotten slightly worse and I have an appointment with her this june so I am sure she will want to do the surgery but it hasn't effected my life style at all . I can read the newspaper although I am sure it is my right eye doing most of the work. I don't have any problem driving although I cant see as well at night as I could when younger but I feel that is natural for my age group. I don't have double vision or any blind spot in my eye. She also removes the cataract at the same time which I know all doctors don't seem to do. my biggest problem , is I am a widower and don't have anyone to take care of me during the week or two of face down recovery. I guess I would have hire someone to come in. So I am wondering why I should go through all this for maybe a slight improvement in my left eye seeing fine print?
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Had membrane peeling surgery done last Thursday and am wondering how quickly the vision recovers? The day after mine, when the patch was taken off, I barely could see 20/200 so the assisting surgeon put a patch back on (to help pressure build up) and sent me home. I was in complete shock because my vision before was good (other than the wavy/distortion/smaller letters). True to his word, my vision was greatly improved the next day (although I looked like I took a hard left from Mike Tyson :). Before surgery, I was seeing 20/50 uncorrected and 20/30-2 corrected but objects were distorted and wavy and there was concern if left untreated it could further worsen my central vision (white spots, etc). I had 3 unsuccessful detached retina surgeries prior before Dr Charles successfully reattached my retina with full silicone oil fill. I developed a bad cataract from the oil so it was removed first (which may be unique to others here). When he did the membrane peeling he told me it should get me to the 20/30 to 20/20 uncorrected range. I have already noticed a great difference in the distortion issues but my vision is still blurry but improving. I know I'm early in the recovery process and although I'm a veteran at retina surgeries (both eyes), I know very little about the results of membrane peeling (other than vision improves significantly in most cases). I am curious on how long it has taken for others (days, weeks, months, years) for recovery of vision to be complete following the membrane peeling surgery.
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I had macular pucker surgery in May, 2015...doctor used an air bubble (did not have to lay face down as part of recovery process)...follow ups have all shown that vision has not improved in eye since surgery...doctor is recommending another macular pucker surgery...I'm wondering if use of air bubbles instead of argon gas bubble may not allow as efficient recovery?.
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My mother suffers from spinal distortion. Her muscles are sprained. Doctors say that this condition of hers is untreatable. I was thinking of trying with alternative methods like reflexology is. What do you think? Can it really help with her condition or not?
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2 years ago I had a piece of steel melted into my eye. I went to the emergency room and they called in an eye specialist. After a dew painstaking hour They got all of the steel removed from my eye. But the specialist tells me i need to see another doctor because it looks like I got glaucoma. So finally I got the nerve to go see the doctor. I don't like to go to doctors. Any how, she said i do have glaucoma after 3 visits to her. Also they had a specialist there at the last visit. They brought a different machine with them. They took a bunch of tests to confirm I have glaucoma and other problems. Macular thickening, leakage of fluid inside my eye, aneurysms, cotton walls. They have appointments scheduled all over the state with specialists now. I am 40 years old. They tested me for diabetes and high blood pressure. All negative. They are not sure why I am having such bad eye problems. Any thought? The eye doctor told me they will start a treatment for the glaucoma in a couple weeks after I see the next specialist.
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After 2 weeks from the surgery I developed Central Macular Edema, it manifested itself as a round gray spot on my field of vision and could not read also with the glasses because everything was blurred also because my right eye has still the cataract. The ophthalmologist prescribed me Acular to take together with M for another 2 months and asked me to go back for check up at the beginning of April. I was forgetting: last year I was found to have a slight macular degeneration, the dry type and she said not to worry. I would like to know from other people who had the same problem as mine. Is it likely that after 2 months I could be clear of it? Also anyone can tell me how long they have to wait before taking a flight abroad?
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I have Cataracts in both eyes and had surgery three weeks ago with Crystalens implanted in right eye.
Apart from one hour after surgery when my sight in the right eye appeared wonderful I have been unable to see properly. All detail is blurred; I can see my outline three feet from a mirror but no detailed features; straight lines are distorted; (i.e. door frames picture frames etc) and vision from this eye appears to be via a green glass window.
After the first week I had further laser treatment to remove cloudiness but my eye sight remained exactly the same with the same symptoms and distortions.
Yesterday I was diagnosed with Macular degeneration (wet) and given an Avastin injection in the eye and advised that it could take several months for me too see from this eye.
I am a male 66 years old and very worried, particularly as I also have untreated cataracts in my left eye. I have also lost confidence in the surgeon in view of the change in diagnosis and the failure of the original surgery.
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So I went to get an eye test today and when the optician viewed the image of the back of my eyes she said there was a small change in the pigment of the macular. She said it can lead to vision loss. She looked at my eyes, did the vision tests and my vision seems okay, apart from being short sighted. She said not to worry, it may have been there all the time but due to my age (35) they don't really look for it but I am to go back for an eye test in a year rather than two.
Well I did the worst possible thing and googled it which of course came back with macular degeneration and loss of central vision, although all I can find is age related macular degeneration but I'm freaking out. Has anyone else had experience of this, is pigment change something that can always have been there without any degeneration? I suppose if it was serious she would have referred me but I'm wondering if I should make an appointment with the GP?
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I had retinal detachment in my right eye in Sept. 2014. Required 2 interventions to get it settled, the last being scleral buckle and vitrectomy. Spent five weeks in face down position. By Dec. 2014 I had cystoid macular edema (CME)? I also developed a cataract, which was expected. Cataract surgery May, 2015. Yag laser Aug 2015. Have been prescribed various eye drops over these many months. Currently on Acuvail 2 x per day. STILL have CME. May end up having surgery for this....Vision slowly worsening...wavy, less intense colours, etc. But my question concerns the fact that my right eye is sore most of the time. Usually just annoying but sometimes quite uncomfortable. Anyone else have this? Anything that can help this? Anyone else have CME lasting well over a year? Thanks !
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Is a vitrectomy surgery successful..? Does it help prove vision..? I've got a scar on my macular as I have poor central vision.. Is there a cure to regain some vision..? Or even to prevent losing vision?
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