I have a floater like a piece of hair in my left eye and I noticed,at night some flashes of light.Having finally seen an ophtalmo,she said I had a small hole in the retina and to go and get laser treatment.No explanation,no reassuring.I had no confidence in this doctor so I'm seeing a recommended one next week. I find that french doctors are very quick to go down the 'surgery is the only way ' route.I also find they just tell you what to do with no explaining and get a bit angry if you suggest there might be another solution. Over the past years I've avoided various drugs,again,the only answer,and shoulder surgery, by changing my diet and exercising. However I'm not so sure there is an alternatif for my eyes,and as I'm an artist and earn my living that way,I'm rather worried. Has anyone had laser work on their eyes,the idea of it scares me I must say.
Hi Mike,
Thats very interesting. Good to hear your eyes are still going strong. I dont have cholesterol problems,and my blood pressure is normal;like you I believe in going for the causes and avoiding drugs.I cut out sugar and wheat 6 months ago,I've read which diseases sugar is responsable for. But, I thought,great, I've given up sugar and this happens.Maybe stress has a lot to do with it.Because it came on when I'd just finished a really awful job which I hated,and which almost made me want to throw my career out the window(I'm an advertising artist). Hours and hours of working on a screen. I dont know,maybe its time to stop and go the Claude Monet way!
Thank you for your reassuring last sentence.
Hi Suzy,
There is an epidemic of macular problems throughout the "affluent world".
Any intervention, either medical or surgical, only treats the symptoms.
I started to notice problems with one eye 20 years ago and was soon unable to read even the largest letter on the chart with that eye. You can imagine that this was quite alarming!
My local hospital sent me up to Moorfields to see the greatest experts at that time. I came away with the information, "It might get worse. It might stay the same. It might get better. There is no treatment available."
By chance, my GP had called me in for an examination, because I rarely called on his services and he thought I was due for a check-up. I was found to have high cholesterol and was prescribed statins. I didn't like these medicines. I thought they were causing side-effects and I was uncomfortable with the thought of taking them long-term.
In those days, the Internet was in its infancy, but there was already a lot of medical information out there and often this was the result of the very latest research. I found that it was suspected there was a correlation between high cholesterol and macular degeneration. This is a view that I think is now accepted by most experts in the field.
I decided that I was going to do something about my cholesterol levels and I was going to go for the causes, rather than treat the symptoms.
So for the last 20 years I have strictly limited my intake of animal fats, avoided products containing hydrogenated vegetable oils completely and cut out added sugar. On the plus side, I eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables (raw and cooked).
I am happy to say that my "good eye" us still working perfectly and the deterioration of the "bad eye" has stabilized and maybe even improved a little. (Difficult to say for sure, because vision is a complicated process and the brain may find tricks to compensate for ocular defects.)
I pass this information on to you for what it is worth, but it is only the experience of one person. You should take the advice of your specialist very seriously. If there is any evidence of a detached retina, then early laser treatment is absolutely necessary.
Now some good news. Macular degeneration does not lead to complete blindness and many of the greatest artists who are admired for their unusual vision of the world were often suffering from severe visual defects. Claude Monet being the most famous example.
So I wish you all the best. I suspect that it will turn out to be not nearly as bad as you fear.
Mike.
Thanks to everyone for the help.Valerie I checked out that site.The ophtalmo didnt even say where the hole was.I originaly saw my own ophtalmo who said it wasnt serious,I had a mal entendu with him which is why I saw another one. So like you Maggi different opinions,hope you have a positive result in December.And you're right it does take forever to see someone,I was given an appointment for January.I think its hard for us Brits to think like the French who consult many specialists and think nothing of it.
What concerns me is the way doctors in general go to the extreme solution.
Thanks to my agent,I have an appointment tuesday with an apparently 'top' ophtalmo.So as with so many things in France its who you know.
I hope you have more success than me with respect to diagnoses by French opthalmologists. I was diagnosed a few years ago with Glaucoma and all that it entails - after around 5 years, I had one particularly harrowing appointment where she changed and upped the drops yet again - so I took the recommendation of a friend and made an appointment with another one, this took me around 8 months to do - he checked my eyes and came up with the astounding news, that I did not have glaucoma and he was taking me off the drugs and stated that he did not need to see me for another year, ie this December, and so I wait with bated breath.
I have no idea what to do about the first opthalmologist - strange thing was that just before she diagnosed me, I had a thorough examination in the UK with no sign of it - but because my mother suffered from this condition, I just believed her - the idea of being misdiagnosed never crossed my mind.
Definitely get another opinion - problem is it takes forever to organise an oppointment.
Hi Suzy. Anything to do with eyes is a bit frightening but here's some info on the cause/effects of a macular hole (yes, I went researching). http://www.retinaphysicians.com/macular-hole.php
As for laser surgery, I had it 3 years ago. The talks and preparation beforehand took an age, the procedure itself once start only took 10 minutes but with your condition I don't know about the timing. If necessary, prepare yourself beforehand by breathing deeply and 'switch off' so that you stay completely still. There will be a slight burning smell but there was minimal discomfort and then it was over. You'll have different recovery procedures which the staff will instruct you on.
I agree with David though - if you have any concerns at all about whether laser is the only option (and from what I read on the link above there is no non-surgical alternative) ask for a second opinion. If that's the route you go, you should get full advice and instructions from the hospital/clinic so you're well prepared.
Very best of luck to you. x
Floaters are a common and normal problem. However I would advise you strongly to go to another medecin ophtalmologiste.
A French neighbour had it done to both eyes a year ago, he is really happy with the results.