Over the lasst 4 days, I kept having to clean my glasses as I thought they were smudged.

Then Tuesday, the day before yesterday, I figured out it was inside my left eye. My vision looked like there's a drop of water or eye gunk in the lower corner of my left eye. So I made an appointment to see my ophthalmologist the following day which was yesterday.

Yesterday morning, the eye gunk obscured an area the size of an arc covering the lower right one third corner of my left eye. When I saw the doctor, the arc'[s edge was touching the center of my vision. He sent me to a retina specialist and by tht time, the arc was obscuring 3/4 of my left vision. Both confirmed it is retina detachment.

I'm scheduled for surgery tomorrow, Friday. In the process of scheduling, there was a wrinkle. None of the locations in Phenix, AZ was in my HMO's network. The one near me that is in my network can only be scheduled April 12 which is like about a month away. The doctor said if not treated as soon as possible, blindness can ensue but if I decide to get it done asap, I would have to pay out of pocket for the facility and anesthesiologist.

That sent a chill down my spine as we all know the amounts billed by health practices. I asked how much would I have to pay and they didn't have the answer so I had to stew for a bit while they called. The good news is that since the charge will be based on no insurance, the facility will cost $1900 and the anesthesiologist will cost $900. It's more than a nice dinner but, at least, it's not as big of a financial hit like tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.

I'm still waiting for the surgery center to call me back for final prep at which time I want to get some assurance, at least by email, of my non-covered costs will be.

In any case, I was just getting to start going to the range and play with the guns I just cleaned as the weather has turned nicer. I told the first doc about this and how I'm left eye dominant. He said, worse case is that I only need one eye to drive and chances are my vision won't be as good as I had before this happened which was after my cataract surgery.

The specialist said retinal detachement happens because of the floaters I've had since I was very near sighted before my cataract surgery.

Anybody else went through retinal detachment and surgery? What can I expect near term after the surgery and long term afterwards?

The good news is that we've met people here who will drive me to my niece's place which is about an hour away from the surgery. I don't feel confident driving all the way down there. My niece will also take me to the post-op the day after and then drive me back home. So it's not like we're completely alone and without help.

If you're of the praying kind, yes, I'll be selfish and ask you. I think this is the first time I've asked for prayers here or anywhere else. I like to tell people when the doctors thought I had lung cancer, I was turning down offers of prayers and asking for an outline of their eulogy instead so I can review and critique.

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Update as of 4 hours later from original post:
I did decide to pay out of pocket but, as coincidences go, the insurance called back and it was just entered today into the system that the facility is in my network as of Feb 1, 2022. The $2,000 wasn't going to be catastrophic but this news was a welcomed encouragement.

I thought I would have made a good Israelite. "Why were we freed from being Pharaoh's slaves only to be killed by his army out in the wilderness with our backs to the Red Sea." "Why were we brought out into the desert just to die from hunger when we could have died back in Egypt just as well but with full bellies?" "Why were we brought out from Egypt just to be killed from thirst?"

Yes, we sometimes have to traverse the desert but I'm finding the provisions are there at just the right time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rey HRH,

Results are normally quite good if caught in time. Waiting until April 12th as they suggest is crazy. I would pay out of pocket and then try and get the HMO to pay. They are supposed to have available doctors in your area to treat emergencies such as retinal detachment. Best of luck to you.

I have had it in both eyes. It's not great but tolerable. One had been detached for a month as scar tissue had already formed. Treating is sooner than later is preferred.
Good luck

I'd pay the money.

My alternative is the VA, so I'd probably go blind if I waited for them anyway. Plus, you can't even get seen without showing vaccine passports and wearing masks right now at my VA clinic.

I am the praying sort, and since you asked, I'm very happy to join with you in prayer. Keep us updated, sticky note applied to my monitor, so I'll be praying regularly.

I'd be paying out of pocket and then file for re-imbursement, but I would not wait.

Cost of dogfood, white sticks and banged up shins frightens me. Besides, I can't play boogie-woogie piano.

Get good eyedocs and heal well!

Reason number 10,346 to get a PPO and not an HMO

Best of luck to the OP. A detached retina is deadly serious with respect to your eyesight. I had a good friend who waited too long and will pay for the rest of his life.

My mom had two surgeries to fix hers, but she didn’t do what they told her to do post surgery either time and has now failed the vision test for her driver’s license. She was supposed to lay face down for most of the day and while sleeping and didn’t.

Do what they tell you post surgery. Get the surgery sooner rather than later.

Go pay and do it now, like right now

I saw what looked like a swarm of bees -- turned out to be blood bubbles. Left eye, 100% detatched. Doc said it looked like a condom laying flat in the bottom of my eye. He sucked out about half the eye fluid, lasered it back into position and refilled the eye with oil. For the next two weeks I had to stay FACE DOWN. Sleeping, pooping, taking medication everything. The oil floats, making it like a pressure bandage.

Once all that was up, I'm back to normal (?) and can see. Only about 30% but better than 0%, huh?

Best of luck with yours and let us know.

The vacuum they apply when doing cataract surgery can increase the chances of a retinal detachment. At least, that’s what my wife was told when she had cataract surgery.

As I understand it, time is of the essence in repairing a detached retina, so it’s a good thing you’re getting it taken care of quickly.

Yes, that is correct. Chances are one percent of RD.

At a late afternoon meeting in November, 2006, I experienced a sudden dimming in my left eye. drove home in the dark, managing traffic, headlights etc., 1 eyed.
Went straight to my eye doc the next morning, and underwent surgery 2 hours later. The repair took about 2 hours, ( my doc told me not to move twice) and successful. Oil drop in eye took 30 days to dissolve, leaving me with a good outcome.
Since then, I’ve had annual visits to do retinal scans and mapping, both with my civilian and VA opthomologists. Sight corrected to 20/20 with reading glasses.
As others have said, this surgery is a must have.
My wife had 2 retinal surgeries a month apart. Today she has a slight wrinkle, but her doc has done his absolute best to minimize any major after effects.
C

Happened to me on a Sunday during a pickleball tournament. Called my ophthalmologist Monday morning and they said get over here now. Called me right back and said they'd set me up with a retina specialist instead. Saw him at 1100 and he did a successful repair the next day. It did accelerate the need for me to get cataract surgery in that eye. That was a good thing and I hated having to wait two years for the other one to get bad enough.

The point is that a detached retina is serious and need to be treated post haste.

I had the “full meal deal” all at once to treat a retinal detachment in one eye: cryopexy, laser surgery, a full vitrectomy and pneumatic retinopexy (gas bubble injected to hold retina in place while healing, followed by head-down for 10 days).

Not a pleasant experience, but had surgery within 24 hrs of initial symptoms & my outcome was very successful. My retinal specialist says I’ve got battle scars afterwards, but I’m pretty thankful to have 20/30 vision in that eye now.

If you have any questions, hit me up any time.

Thanks for the replies about personal experiences.

Whitks, I'll email you about the head down part. The doc said I'd have something similar, he just don't know which way (head u, sideways, etc) until he does the operation.

I'm wondering how you do that - sleeping, sitting, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I'd be paying out of pocket and then file for re-imbursement, but I would not wait.

Cost of dogfood, white sticks and banged up shins frightens me. Besides, I can't play boogie-woogie piano.

Get good eyedocs and heal well!

It's the reason why may buddy Joe Amato got out of the dragster.

Rey HRH,

You asked for prayers... you got them!

--Bob