Wet macular degeneration?

[jimcav]

anyone go through this with anyone close? My mom has surgery next week, legally blind as of now. She just finished the conservative efforts with shots and gas bubble. I have read up on it, but can't find much info on IF surgery is successful, how long it may last before it progresses/recurs?

thanks
Jim

[TomP]

What kind of surgery is being proposed? I'm a low vision optometrist and see a lot of patients with wet macular degeneration. There is one new surgery I'm familiar with for people with end stage macular degeneration. If she has not had cataracts removed, then a miniature telescope can be implanted in her eye.

I'm sorry for what she's going through and wish the best.

[jimcav]

i believe this surgery is just to remove the blood. she had the avastin shots, then the gas bubble.. no one has mentioned laser yet. cataracts were done, several years ago, could be over a decade--why would that make the lens implant (telescope) impossible?

[TomP]

Hi Jim,

Usually removing the blood is not an overly difficult or high risk surgery.

The implantable telescope is placed in the lens capsule, or outter "bag" to help support it inside the eye. So, a different type of cataract removal is performed for these than the typical modern day cataract surgery.

[jimcav]

appreciate you taking the time to reply on Thanksgiving. I will try to talk to an ophthalmologist on monday, but I am trying to understand: since she went almost in the span of 24 hrs from dry to wet, to legally blind, and although there is hope for resolution and return of some vision, I am not finding any info on how long that will last etc. Difficult to think about, but my dad is post-stroke and relies on her, and if she is blind the long term planning has to be anticipated. they would need help with all sorts of things.
thanks
jim

[TomP]

Hi Jim,

I truly am sorry to hear this.

Ok, so it sounds like she had a sudden bleed causing the conversion from dry to wet, and that it also caused a detachment (thus the need for the gas bubble).

The injections are usually given monthly and it can take several to achieve results, but the results can be quite positive and dramatic.

If she is not seeing a retina specialist, I would suggest that.

Best wishes.

[Elefantino]

Jim:

My mom (92) has gone through the same thing. I wish you the best.

-M

[jimcav]

Pretty sure he is a retina guy. She has had 2 shots so far, i think another round may happen after surgery. Thanks again
jim
Hi Jim,

I truly am sorry to hear this.

Ok, so it sounds like she had a sudden bleed causing the conversion from dry to wet, and that it also caused a detachment (thus the need for the gas bubble).

The injections are usually given monthly and it can take several to achieve results, but the results can be quite positive and dramatic.

If she is not seeing a retina specialist, I would suggest that.

Best wishes.