Symptoms of possible detached retina, what to do?
November 8, 2024 12:52 PM Subscribe
My husband has been having some vision problems for a while, but this morning he woke up with more alarming symptoms. He was able to move his opthalmologist appointment (with the person he normally sees for his contact lenses) to tomorrow. You are not his eye doctor, but if you have had any similar situation or maybe are someone else's eye doctor - is this a situation where the emergency room is called for and could help, or is it best to wait until tomorrow?
The problems my husband has been having are increasing numbers of floaters and blurred vision in one eye. Today he is seeing what he describes as an arc that flashes and then goes dark when he moves his eye back and forth. His other eye is very dominant, so things could have been getting worse for a while without being noticed. I've been trying other ophthalmologists in town, but haven't had any luck finding someone taking new patients anytime soon.
This is terrifying, and Dr. Google is not helping.
The problems my husband has been having are increasing numbers of floaters and blurred vision in one eye. Today he is seeing what he describes as an arc that flashes and then goes dark when he moves his eye back and forth. His other eye is very dominant, so things could have been getting worse for a while without being noticed. I've been trying other ophthalmologists in town, but haven't had any luck finding someone taking new patients anytime soon.
This is terrifying, and Dr. Google is not helping.
Best answer: Go to a hospital immediately - emergency. The arc is likely his retina detaching. I’ve been there - I saw the arc day before a scheduled eye exam. When I went in they all dropped what they were doing and ensured I had an eye appointment with a specialist asap - this was at a hospital (Toronto Western fwiw).
Mine was almost needing full surgery (not fun) and they laser welded it back in place - that’s almost 20 years ago now.
Good luck - wishing you all the best.
posted by whatevernot at 1:01 PM on November 8, 2024 [9 favorites]
Mine was almost needing full surgery (not fun) and they laser welded it back in place - that’s almost 20 years ago now.
Good luck - wishing you all the best.
posted by whatevernot at 1:01 PM on November 8, 2024 [9 favorites]
Best answer: Take him to the ER immediately. They can detect a detachment (but not fix it).
I had a retinal detachment last year.
The symptoms you state are consistent with a retinal detachment.
If it is a detachment, the sooner you get surgery the better the prognosis for saving vision.
posted by splitpeasoup at 1:21 PM on November 8, 2024 [12 favorites]
I had a retinal detachment last year.
The symptoms you state are consistent with a retinal detachment.
If it is a detachment, the sooner you get surgery the better the prognosis for saving vision.
posted by splitpeasoup at 1:21 PM on November 8, 2024 [12 favorites]
Best answer: Yes, your husband should go to the emergency department if his ophthalmologist can't see him until tomorrow. Incidentally, did your husband explicitly tell the ophthalmologist that he was worried about retinal detachment? Apologies if this seems obvious, but if your husband didn't use those words, it might be worth calling back. All the ophthalmology practices I'm familiar with will make time for same day appointments in this kind of urgent situation. At the very least they might recommend which ED your husband should go to.
If possible, choose the emergency department of a hospital that's part of a system that includes ophthalmology as a specialty. For example, in my part of North Carolina, Duke Hospital is affiliated with Duke Eye Center, and can refer ED patients to a surgeon who can address their retinal detachment ASAP. If this is too stressful, just go to the nearest ED and let them figure out referral. Good luck to your husband! I shepherded my 80 year old mother in law through this situation a couple of years ago and she did great. It's scary but fixable!
posted by little mouth at 1:22 PM on November 8, 2024 [3 favorites]
If possible, choose the emergency department of a hospital that's part of a system that includes ophthalmology as a specialty. For example, in my part of North Carolina, Duke Hospital is affiliated with Duke Eye Center, and can refer ED patients to a surgeon who can address their retinal detachment ASAP. If this is too stressful, just go to the nearest ED and let them figure out referral. Good luck to your husband! I shepherded my 80 year old mother in law through this situation a couple of years ago and she did great. It's scary but fixable!
posted by little mouth at 1:22 PM on November 8, 2024 [3 favorites]
Best answer: While your husband is in line at the ER, call up retinal surgeons (not opthalmologists) in your area to find who can take an emergency patient. If any are available today, then skip the ER and go straight to the retinal surgeon.
The ER or opthalmologist can diagnose a detachment, but they can't fix it. You'll need a retinal surgeon for that.
posted by splitpeasoup at 1:24 PM on November 8, 2024 [6 favorites]
The ER or opthalmologist can diagnose a detachment, but they can't fix it. You'll need a retinal surgeon for that.
posted by splitpeasoup at 1:24 PM on November 8, 2024 [6 favorites]
Best answer: If in Toronto, contact Toronto Western Hospital - the Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute.
posted by whatevernot at 1:29 PM on November 8, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by whatevernot at 1:29 PM on November 8, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Do not fuck around with eye issues. The flashing is especially what my eye doctors have warned me about repeatedly through my life when they learn of my family history. Luckily most eye specialists have very good relationships with each other - once a patient is identified as needing specialist help asap they will reach out far and wide to find same day availability.
posted by Mizu at 1:31 PM on November 8, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 1:31 PM on November 8, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yes, I would consider this emergency territory.
posted by Stacey at 1:40 PM on November 8, 2024
posted by Stacey at 1:40 PM on November 8, 2024
Response by poster: Thank you so much to everyone for the advice! Shortly after I posted my question I got a callback from a retinal specialist who said come now, so my husband is being seen.
posted by LadyOscar at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2024 [35 favorites]
posted by LadyOscar at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2024 [35 favorites]
Best answer: "...said come now, so my husband is being seen"
Woot! Caught early, best chance of success.
posted by whatevernot at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2024 [3 favorites]
Woot! Caught early, best chance of success.
posted by whatevernot at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2024 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I don't know on what basis someone assumed you're in Toronto, but if that is correct you should absolutely already be at Toronto Western Hospital or failing that at Sunnybrook. When my mom had a tear (precursor to detachment), I called my ophthalmology connected friends to ask where to take her and those were the two top of the list. I took her to TWH and they said thank goodness you brought her in, she could have been blind in that eye within 24 hours if you hadn't. They called in the surgeon who came in immediately to treat her.
Please go now. If you are not in Toronto find the best ophthalmology specializing hospital where you are and go to their ER immediately.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:52 PM on November 8, 2024
Please go now. If you are not in Toronto find the best ophthalmology specializing hospital where you are and go to their ER immediately.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 1:52 PM on November 8, 2024
Best answer: One of my parents had the symptoms of a detached retina in one eye and took a few days before getting it looked at. This caused permanent damage to the retina and made recovery much more complicated. They can see ok now but even years later there is still some loss of vision.
If you are having the signs of a retinal detachment get to a health provider ASAP.
posted by forkisbetter at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2024
If you are having the signs of a retinal detachment get to a health provider ASAP.
posted by forkisbetter at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2024
Best answer: Heartened to see the responses and that he is being seen. Depending on the exact situation, the fix may be as simple as a laser "tack weld" around the tear to sort of seal around the tear (with scar tissue) to prevent fluid from getting behind the retina. For me, that was an in-office procedure that took about 20 minutes.
If the retina is actually detaching, things get more involved. My detachment was fixed with an encircling scleral buckle, and gas bubble. It was a general anesthesia surgery and my recovery time was weeks for that one, plus several months before my eye stabilized enough to get new glasses for my now even more nearsighted eye. Fortunately for me, the detachment did not reach the macula, so my vision is correctable almost 20/20. If I hadn't had the surgery when I did, I'd be blind in that eye.
posted by coppertop at 6:09 PM on November 8, 2024
If the retina is actually detaching, things get more involved. My detachment was fixed with an encircling scleral buckle, and gas bubble. It was a general anesthesia surgery and my recovery time was weeks for that one, plus several months before my eye stabilized enough to get new glasses for my now even more nearsighted eye. Fortunately for me, the detachment did not reach the macula, so my vision is correctable almost 20/20. If I hadn't had the surgery when I did, I'd be blind in that eye.
posted by coppertop at 6:09 PM on November 8, 2024
Response by poster: An update with happy news! The eye doctor thinks that my husband's retina is not detaching. She did some fancy imaging, and there is a very distinct crescent-shaped line across the retina of an area where the retinal tissue is abnormally thickened, which she thinks combined with normal age-related changes for it to become more obvious and impact his peripheral vision to the point that it was clearly a problem. (I wasn't in the appointment, so I may be relaying that wrong.) She said he shouldn't do anything athletic that might joggle his eyes around and is doing a followup in two weeks to make sure that there isn't a progressive issue (since I guess the boundary of this region is a stress point?), but it sounds like it will be OK!
Thank you so much to everyone who responded! Even though it didn't turn out to be an emergency, I'm glad we went ahead with the specialist; without the fancy equipment apparently it would have been hard to diagnose this sensibly. I dread to imagine what the bill will be, since unfortunately I live in the United States of Suck rather than Toronto*, but we are privileged to have decent health insurance through my husband's vision-needing job, which I can now stop panicking about him being able to do in future.
*My best friend lives in Toronto, so my past AskMe activity includes some Toronto-ness.
posted by LadyOscar at 6:57 PM on November 8, 2024 [10 favorites]
Thank you so much to everyone who responded! Even though it didn't turn out to be an emergency, I'm glad we went ahead with the specialist; without the fancy equipment apparently it would have been hard to diagnose this sensibly. I dread to imagine what the bill will be, since unfortunately I live in the United States of Suck rather than Toronto*, but we are privileged to have decent health insurance through my husband's vision-needing job, which I can now stop panicking about him being able to do in future.
*My best friend lives in Toronto, so my past AskMe activity includes some Toronto-ness.
posted by LadyOscar at 6:57 PM on November 8, 2024 [10 favorites]
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