Eyesight is precious – you only have two eyes

But I did go to the ophthalmologist the next morning, though, and he sent me straight to the university hospital with a suspected detached retina. What annoyed me was the difference between my ophthalmologist's urgent referral and then having to wait six hours in the emergency room.

When I was finally seen, they confirmed the suspicion: Retinal detachment on the left, and retinal tears on the right which could have led to detachment.

I had to wait until the next day for surgery. That evening, the anesthetist came to see me and talked to me about the different types of anesthetic. General anesthetic or local anesthetic, but without a sedative. Because I had the choice, I went for the general anesthetic. I didn't want to be awake the whole time and notice that somebody was poking around in my eye.

I was very pleased about the information I was given. They explained to me in understandable terms what a detached retina is and what exactly would happen during surgery. They said I should picture the inner eye as a living room wall, where the retina is the wallpaper that lines the inside. There are two options if the wallpaper starts peeling off: Either you stick it back on with a cryoprobe and increase the inner eye pressure so that it is pressed smoothly back onto the wall. Or you move the wall, that is to say the eyeball, towards the wallpaper and press them onto one another.

They also outlined the various surgical methods with their pros and cons very well. And nobody pressured me into choosing one or the other option.

The vitreous body in my left eye was removed and the retina was reattached using a cryoprobe. The eyeball was then filled right up again with a special gas. The pressure automatically presses the retina onto the inner wall, where it can grow back together.

The advantage of the gas is that it is gradually broken down by the body and doesn't have to be removed. It’s possible to use silicon oil instead of gas. Then you can see pretty well almost straight after the operation. But the oil has to be removed in a second procedure.

The retinal tears on the right eye were also ‘welded’ using lasers as a precaution to stop the retina from detaching at all.

Straight after surgery, my sight in the operated eye was blurred, I could only tell light and dark apart and see rough outlines. Over the following days my body produced a fluid which slowly refilled the eyeball. I could really feel the fluid levels increasing. I could see clearly below the “water line,” but it was stilled blurred above.

It took a good two weeks until I could really see clearly again. I had to take two different types of eye drops during that time to prevent infection and reduce the inner eye pressure.

The cause of my detached retina was very probably the cataract surgery and the follow-up laser treatment. Cataract operations are one of the most common causes of retinal detachment in Germany.

I have also been very nearsighted since childhood. And I developed cataracts in both eyes at a very early age. That was doubtless a combination of those factors.

I would have appreciated getting more information from the physician who treated me about follow-up care, what you can do yourself, and what you need to be aware of. Something in writing to take home wouldn’t have gone a miss. There’s lots of contradictory information on the internet about those things.

I got my information from the other patients on my ward who gave me tips. And I gathered together advice from other clinics’ websites in the first few months after surgery.

The most important thing in the first few weeks is to avoid too much physical exertion that would increase inner eye pressure. It’s especially important to avoid heavy lifting. So, I didn’t go cycling anymore because I always have to carry my bike up and down the stairs at home.

Another important thing is that you shouldn’t read for the first one or two weeks after surgery, including on screens. But it’s okay to watch TV.

I was quite worried when the ophthalmologist said he suspected detached retina. Eyesight is precious – you only have two eyes.

I was also aware that the operation is not always 100% successful, especially if you react too late or if the retina detaches in the middle. I met other patients at the university hospital who had just had their second or third operation, which didn’t exactly help to put my mind at rest.

But I was lucky. The retina had only detached at the edge. That is easier to treat and the risk of it happening again is lower. So far, I’ve only needed one operation.

I have been much more careful since then. I regularly check whether my eyesight is as good in both eyes or whether my field of vision has changed in either eye. Even though I’m not overly fearful, I notice that I find it alarming if I see harmless “floaters” in front of my eyes after reading for a long time.

I am very happy with the treatment overall. Everything worked out well and I can see totally normally and focused again. The follow-up care is going well, too. At first I went for monthly check-ups with my ophthalmologist, now I just go twice a year.

That’s more regular than usual because there are two reasons: the detached retina and the cataract surgery. Once everything is stable, I will soon be able to reduce the check-ups to once a year.

In hindsight, I regret not having reacted right away. I could have gone to the ophthalmologist or the eye clinic the day the symptoms started. I was lucky – everything turned out fine for me. But if the retina had detached in the middle and not at the edge, it might have been too late.

I think it’s important to raise more awareness among people who have a higher risk. Nobody told me after my cataract surgery that I should be aware of the possible signs of a detached retina.

And the same is true for people who have had diabetes for a long time. They also have a higher risk, just like people with severe nearsightedness. Lots of people probably don’t know that.

You can only spot the warning signs and react early enough if you know about them. And the sooner you get treatment, the better the chances of it being successful.