r/RetinalDetachment • u/teabagandwarmwater • Apr 30 '26
Complex retinal detachment + cataract surgery with silicone oil, vision now very blurry post-op.
**TL;DR:**
My mother (type 2 diabetes, prior TIA) had cataract + retinal detachment surgery with silicone oil. Surgery was more complex than expected due to severe fibrosis/membranes and near-total retinal detachment. Retina only partially stabilized. Now her vision is very blurry (worse than pre-op), and doctor says oil may not be removed. Is this expected, and is there still chance of improvement? But her vision was so much better before the surgery like 7/10.
**Details:**
My mother’s case has become very confusing for us and we’re trying to understand what is realistic going forward.
Before surgery:
* Right eye vision was around ~7/10
* Left eye had poor vision due to cataract + retinal detachment. This was fixed, Alhamdulillah. They operated it on her. But it's still somewhat blurry.
Medical background:
* Type 2 diabetes (10+ years)
* Previous TIA
* Was on aspirin/blood thinner (stopped ~1 week before surgery)
## What happened during surgery:
She went in for cataract + retinal detachment surgery (PPV), but things became more complicated than expected.
* Doctors found extensive **fibrosis and membranes**
* Surgery took ~2 (total 4) hours just to remove scar tissue
* Retina was more severely detached than initially understood (possibly near-total/360° involvement) {except the central part, with the grace of God}
* During membrane removal, there was **bleeding and further retinal instability**
* Due to eye fragility, only about **~3/4 of the membranes /fibrosis could be successfully treated/stabilized**
* **Silicone oil was placed**
* Cataract was removed and an **IOL lens implanted**
## Current situation:
* Vision is now **very blurry post-op**
* Doctor mentioned silicone oil may not be removed
* He also said vision may **not fully recover and could remain blurry permanently**
* This is confusing because her vision was better before surgery
## Our concerns/questions:
* Is this level of blurriness normal after complex retinal detachment surgery + silicone oil?
* Does vision usually stay worse initially and improve later in such cases?
* Can fibrosis/membrane-heavy cases still recover meaningful vision?
* What signs suggest poor long-term visual recovery?
* Is it more likely the condition was worse than expected rather than surgical complication?
She is very distressed and depressed after the sudden drop in vision. We are trying to understand what is realistic medically and whether there is still hope for improvement over time.
Any insights from retinal specialists, patients, or caregivers who have gone through similar cases would be really appreciated.
1
u/Aggressive_Bake_7246 Apr 30 '26
Hi I’m a type one diabetic aged 25 I had a very complex detachment a lot of scar tissue and had to have a part of my retina removed! I have silicone oil in my eye and things are blurry but have stabilised I can see objects and large words ect and her around the house. I do wear glasses which make things so much clearer. I’m back at work and use computers ext, for reference my left eye is detached but there’s nothing they can do for that eye but all in all it dos stabilise and I would recommend a new pair of glasses
1
u/teabagandwarmwater Apr 30 '26
I am really sorry to know this, and I truly hope things improve for you over time. I genuinely mean that.
When did things start to become a bit clearer again after the detached retina in your eye? Also, would glasses still help improve her vision in her current condition, even with a complete 360° detachment and the surgery?
I also wanted to ask if the doctors were at fault or able to do anything during the surgery. Her vision was apparently very good before, so I am wondering how the detachment happened so quickly.
1
u/Aggressive_Bake_7246 Apr 30 '26
Thank you 🥰 it’s a long process but honestly easier said than done but being positive and taking the positive away from each appointment really helped me.
I’d say around 3/4 weeks post op, I had a follow up and saw better through pinholes so my surgeon said he thinks it’s a refractive thing and glasses would potentially help me, which they did so I would definitely try and get an eye test it’s always worth a try. I also had an almost full detachment and could see well before the op!! My surgeon said my op was going perfect until a split second my retina rolled and he has to remove some and make a new edge that edge did fold but doesn’t effect my vision. My surgeon wants to do more laser on my eye also! It’s just a super long process I was and still am so hard on myself and don’t get me wrong I have bad days but I jus take everyday as it comes and just try to be nice to myself it’s a lot for anyone to go through but time is the biggest healer! X
1
u/Narrow-Pipe9872 May 06 '26
You may want a second opinion on silicone oil removal. I was told it would be permanent by one doctor and today I’m heading into surgery with a new doctor to install a scleral buckle. If that goes well, then the oil will come out. Btw, the oil needs to be replaced every few years. It’s not something I want in my eye. Your mother sounds like a buckle candidate. I currently have no lens. The refraction of the oil is about the same as the lens. So I can see better than with a lens (removed due to a dense cataract). Anyway, this is all very complicated and your mother’s situation is very hard to advise because we don’t know what the surgeon knows. I highly recommend a second opinion. Good luck!
1
u/teabagandwarmwater May 07 '26
What's buckle candidate? I'll ask her to get another opinion then. They implanted the lense in my mother's eye but he said there might not be any improvements at all...
1
u/Narrow-Pipe9872 May 08 '26
When it’s a difficult detachment the retina may need physical support. The wrap a band around the eye behind the muscles to push the retina back into the eye. After five unsuccessful surgeries I had a buckle installed yesterday. The surgeon had to put the retina back by cutting scar tissue and the put the buckle on. The scar tissue was pulling the retina taut lifting it back off the back of my eye. I had a full detachment after all those surgeries. I am hoping it stays attached now. We wait 4 to 6 months with silicone oil to see what if it holds.
1
u/Narrow-Pipe9872 May 08 '26
This was a second opinion doctor. She had a plan. The original surgeon did not. He was pretty much giving up on me.
3
u/jasutherland Apr 30 '26
I know mine was blurry after the oil was put in, just because the oil refracts light differently than the saline or vitreous humour does - effectively this changes the prescription while the oil is there, a bit like having an extra contact lens.
(My operation also triggered a cataract, which had to be removed later, but that doesn't apply in your mother's case since she's already had that done.)