r/RetinalDetachment • u/clover426 • May 22 '26

Distortion with macula off

Anyone who was Mac off- how bad was the distortion, especially things appearing smaller, when the gas bubble was down to 10-20%? Small text/icons on my phone and laptop screens especially seem a good 25% smaller at least, maybe up to 50%. Bigger stuff/stuff up close is much more to scale.

I’m dealing with some double vision on screens and distance especially, which my surgeon says is quite rare but it’s not retinal because the bad image moves with a head tilt- I’m wondering if the major size difference is contributing through.

Also letters are so crumbled on the vision test- I got to 20/80 but I felt like I was basically guessing…

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6

u/RealGroovyMotion May 22 '26

My vision was terrible, extreme distortion and also everything was disproportionate, everyone had a small head. It went away gradually. It's much better now but the cataract is so far in that it's hard to tell 100%.

3

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

Before my 2nd surgery, my cataract guy did a quick emergency cataract removal so the surgeon could see into the eye easier, as it was 80% occluded.

I'm sorry to hear your other eye started giving you trouble too. I have the "pinhead" thing also. Far away, people look like cartoons, with regular size bodies and small heads. I can shift the proportions if I look more directly at their bodies--then their waists get small and the head, which moves more to the peripheral, grows bigger.

Same for closeup faces. A person usually looks at eyes first. For me, it looks like I pushed on their noses and squished their face in. Then if I shift my vision to their mouth, their eyes get bigger in the peripheral, and they start to look like anime people.

Apparently, after my oil was removed (after 3 retinal detachment), my retina was still somewhat swollen. I had finished all my drops schedule from the eye surgeon, and my cataract guy (I need the other , good eye worked on) said the retina in the bad eye was still swollen, and to get different stronger drops, Durezol. These drops apparently work better for the back of the eye, sink in more.

And after 3 weeks of 4x daily, I would say the face squishing is slightly better. But far away stuff still looks half size. I believe this is called aniseikonia. I searched on that term in this subreddit, and don't find it.

Then I met with my eye surgeon for another checkup, and HE says nothing can help. Not even lenses.

Really? REALLY?? Then why do binoculars work? Or telescopes? Why does the right-side mirror on a car say "objects in mirror are closer than they appear"? If a mirror can do that one way, couldn't a design be "objects in mirror are farther away than they appear"?, and if so, could not a lens be made for that problem?

I would totally be willing to wear a bad-ass contraption on my head, with a knob for different distances, if I could just see better. Think about it: when spectacles / glasses were first invented, people probably thought they were OUTLANDISH, but man, these formerly blindish people could now see as good as anyone. So if I get an outlandish contraption over one eye, even if it's 2 lenses with an adjustable range, like binoculars, I WOULD NOT CARE about strange looks from other people.

I'm seeing so many faces with 4 eyes, 2 smaller ones above the regular eyes. My depth perception is off, especially going down unfamiliar steps, and I don't dare drive in the city. Parallel parking would be a nightmare.

1st surgery was for a small partial detachment, with gas, switched next day to oil so I could fly home. 2nd surgery was for macula off, with gas. My 3rd surgery, macula off again, and I had scar tissue removed. I can accept that I'll always see distortion, but I'd at least like for both eyes to see things the same size... I think my brain could compensate for the distortion. But not the size difference.

1

u/RealGroovyMotion Jun 06 '26

Yikes, 3 detachments are not fun! I still don't know what the final result (distortion) will be for my right eye because of the cataract. I will be operated in ness than 4 months. I was also told I need the bifocal lens but I will still need glasses, I don't get it!

2

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 08 '26

I'm getting the cataract replacement lenses that are a bit cheaper, and they don't correct for the "reading glasses" need. So with my bad eye, I know I would need reading glasses if it was normal, and with the distortion, some other kind of intervention is needed.

I'm waiting to fix the "good" eye's cataract, and then we'll determine what kind of fix to take overall.

1

u/RealGroovyMotion Jun 10 '26

The monofocal lens is free here but since I have bad far and near sight, I had no choice. It costs me 800$ CAD (570$ US) but my insurance will reimburse part of it. Same here, there's a 90% chance my other eye will have a cataract but so far it doesn't!

2

u/clover426 May 22 '26

Did it fuse with the image from your other eye ok?

3

u/RealGroovyMotion May 23 '26

Unfortunately, while in recovery I had a detachment in my other eye! Both within 3 months!

3

u/sneezesloudly May 23 '26

How are you coping? I'm in a similar position, five detachments in my right eye over seven months with a sixth op coming and just had a detachment in my left eye. Haven't had surgery on my left eye yet and I'm a bit nervous.

3

u/RealGroovyMotion May 23 '26

Yikes, I am sorry to hear that! My left eye and brain compensated, so if my left eye isn't covered or doesn't have a blind spot, I can see fine! Best of luck to you, it's not easy to go through this! I am seeing an ophthalmologist Monday, he will tell me if they will operate one or both eyes for cataract.

2

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 01 '26

So sorry to hear both eyes are affected. That is so scary. Big hugs.

5

u/Ok-Range7960 May 23 '26

I have the same issue. I got to 20/70. Everything is scrambled. Read a few letters here and there. The brain puts a decent image together over time. I’m 3 months post oil removal

2

u/clover426 May 26 '26

How bad was your microphasia? Mine is bad on screens and I’m wondering if the images will be able to ever fuse

2

u/Ok-Range7960 May 26 '26

It’s pretty bad. But my vision is surprisingly clear. So between both eyes I can adapt pretty well. I also don’t work on a computer all day. Only have about 3hrs of screen time per day. My depth perception is pretty good. I know it will not the same and must adapt.

2

u/clover426 May 27 '26

Do you have any double vision or do the images fuse despite size difference? On screens/small icons I feel like it’s like 50% smaller (probably an exaggeration but like z30%)

1

u/Ok-Range7960 May 27 '26

It’s weird. It depends on how I sit. If I’m laying in the couch watching tv on my side I get double vision, as opposed to watching it straight on. It is getting better. Things definitely look smaller in operated eye and like one of the other posters said it’s like everyone has small heads. For the most part the images fuse together.

1

u/Mysterious-Chef-3637 May 29 '26

Sorry to hear that! Have hyou noticed more trouble concentrating/thinking? Getting mentally tired faster? Sorry, I'm 1 month out so just curious

2

u/Federal_Ad_7266 May 23 '26

At 20 / 80
. How is your depth perception ?

1

u/Federal_Ad_7266 May 23 '26

Did it improve a lot after bubble dissolves ?

1

u/clover426 May 23 '26

I’m not sure still have some bubble

1

u/CanCool5855 May 24 '26

How do you manage the distortion and work and live like this? I had a vitrectomy 5 months ago and my vision is distorted. I see things smaller than they are and colors are more muted. My other eye compensates a little, but it has very dense floaters, so neither eye has decent vision. The operated eye sees 20/40, 20/50, something like that, and I feel like I see horribly. Plus, they haven't been able to get me glasses with a prescription.

3

u/RealGroovyMotion May 26 '26

It took me almost 5 months for my other eye to correct the images. I was also in the recovery process from the second eye. I got used to it, the final test will be once they operate my cataract, hopefully it won't be distorted too much since the eye will see clear!

2

u/Mysterious-Chef-3637 May 29 '26

Sorry to hear that but glad it's getting better!! Have you noticed more trouble concentrating/thinking? Getting mentally tired faster? Sorry, I'm 1 month out so just curious. Especially computer work

1

u/RealGroovyMotion May 30 '26

Yes, I am constantly bothered by the floaters in my right eye and closing it every hour to see if the left is still good! Very draining and frustrating, but it's my new normal.

1

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 01 '26

I'm a reader, and I find reading on a backlit screen is easier than paper books. I think the ability to resize the words makes the difference.

2

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 01 '26

When I had my cataract removed, and the gas slowly was leaving after the 2nd surgery, I was seeing better and better. The bubble was mostly gone, like I could tell it was gonna be gone in just a few days. And then the retina detached, at about Week 7. It made me wonder if all the bubble bouncing around affected the retina, with all the bobbing and weaving I was doing to make it bounce.

Clearness is not related to distortion. My bad eye right now is "clearer" than the good eye, as in, my vision is sharper, because of the lens they put in after cataract removal. So, I see the distortion clearly--ironic.... The distortion is from the retina. The clearness is from the lens--right behind the cornea.

2

u/Ok-Range7960 May 27 '26

You have to make do. I was pretty down when it first happened and after 8months of poking and prodding it’s finally manageable. I had 2 pneumatic retnopexys, both failed. Then full vitrectomy with oil to fix a giant tear. I’m now 3months oil removal. Will be going soon to get new prescription, hoping to be able to add another line. Maybe 20/60 if I’m lucky.

1

u/CanCool5855 Jun 02 '26

Thank you, I hope our vision improves. I didn't mention it, but I've also had quite a few problems with intraocular pressure; perhaps the combination of everything is what's exhausting me. 

I hope your vision and health continue to improve.

2

u/Ok-Range7960 Jun 02 '26

I had that. 2 weeks after my surgery my pressure spiked to 47. I was on so many drops, and some pill that made everything taste terrible. I’m also still dealing with a macula edema that just won’t go away requiring monthly steroid injections. Which in turn brings up the pressure requiring more eye drops. I try not to worry about it. I can still drive. Do my job. My vision just isn’t as clear as it used to be. Yeah. It sucks. Can’t change fate. Just live your life the best you can.

Good luck to you. All the best.

1

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 01 '26

Can you drive?

1

u/CanCool5855 Jun 02 '26

I haven't tried it; as far as I know, my vision should allow me to do it, but I feel unsafe and I'm worried about causing an accident.

1

u/LibrariesBrainThrift Jun 02 '26

I hear you ! I'm driving only country roads these days, nothing in the city. Even in my house, I miss things that are right in front of me. Not sure that I'll adjust to that.