TS&M or medical people

[Spencermm]

My retina has become detached from the back upper portion of my eyeball. Having it reattached tomorrow.
Can I still scuba after that, I mean, given the recovery time?
I will of course ask the Dr. tomorrow, but was hoping someone on here might tell me today.
Thanks,
Spencer

 

[diver 85]

Depends on many factors, some of which are length of RD to time of repair, what area it's in, did they get a good repair, what caused it ---many things...Your best answer will come from the guy repairing it---totally impossible to answer that correctly here on a forum......Ask the R.S.......good luck, it's not that uncommon of a thingy and results are alot better these days with present technology ie LASERS......

 

[fisherdvm]

Diving and the Eye suggests waiting 2 months after surgery based on his references.

 

[TSandM]

I am not even remotely an ophthalmologist, but since there are no air spaces in the eyes, I would think that the time to return to diving would be the same as the time to return to any other sport where you might experience jarring. Your ophthalmologist is the best person to ask.

 

[Spencermm]

I am not even remotely an ophthalmologist, but since there are no air spaces in the eyes, I would think that the time to return to diving would be the same as the time to return to any other sport where you might experience jarring. Your ophthalmologist is the best person to ask.

Thanks for the input. I should know in a few hours. I hate "not knowing", which is why I was anxious for answers yesterday.
This was all kinda sudden. Went to the doc yesterday for floaters, which I thought were being caused by a heavy eye lid. Doc said "no" and "you need to have this procedure done yesterday to save your vision."
Thanks,
Spencer

 

[Spencermm]

Surgery was a success.
Asked how long before I can jog or scuba. Doc said "2-8 weeks, maybe more. I'll let you know". Said a lot of it depends on how closely I follow their recovery plan and how well my body heals.
Thanks for the responses guys and gals, and for the PM's.
Spencer

 

[ruready7]

Wish you a speedy recovery!!

 

[Cyclops_Diver]

If your surgery was anything like the six surgeries that I had for retina detachments, you will probably be "healed" in a couple weeks but the Doc will be monitoring the gas bubble they might have put in your eye, waiting for it to fully be absorbed by the body and disappear before he cleares you to dive again.

When I had my six detachments, each time they injected a gas bubble in my eye to keep the part they worked on dry so that it could heal. I had to lie in one spot for two weeks without moving and causing that bubble to shift. Talk about misery!

Good luck, keep us posted, and safe diving!

 

[chilie]

I wish you a quick recovery! Never suffered that type of injury but have had numerous other maladies. I know you know this, but it bears repeating, with any injury don't be in a rush to dive or do anything that might effect your recovery. I heard it somewhere else on this board and to paraphrase, dont be in a rush to dive and risk never diving again to the same degree. Blindness of one eye can surely play terrible tricks under water.

 

[Gombessa]

I wonder if mask squeeze puts any kind of suction pressure on your eyes (it sure feels like it), which would imnmo be just as bad as jarring force.

I don't recall exactly, but when I had my lasik procedure, I think they said I could be jogging and back in the pool within a couple of weeks or so. I gave it over a month to be safe...