Help me find a clinic to correct Detached Retina

My local clinic (Portland, Oregon) wants to use old fashioned surgical
methods.

I'd prefer more modern gas bubble therapy.

Any suggestions on clinics in the Northwest which can handle more up to
date detached retina repair?

Thanks,

30% and Going Blind Fast.....

 

Don't mess around. Get to the closest retinologist wherever he/she is
ASAP. What do you mean old fashioned? If they need to strap your eye,
let them do it. You'll also get a bubble. Both are up to date.

w.stacy, o.d.

 

why are you posting here about a retina detachment? dude, get emergency
help NOW!

 

Fast isn't exactly the concept. Immediate is the concept. Once you go
blind, completely or partially, you don't ever get it back. Get this
fixed. Now. Not tomorrow, not tonight, right now.

 

To clarify, I've just seen the ophthalmologist, who diagnosed it. I
had already set the appt. with the retinologist (but that is not until
the 24th - next week/fri). I would have preferred to see someone before
then but this is where my opthalmologist wants me to go.

I just wanted to know who (which clinics) are up-to-date on their
methods. Unless things have changed since the last time I had to find a
specialist, there is quite a difference in the expertise and quality of
care from clinic to clinic. At one time, I could only find a couple of
specialists in pathological myopia in the US, and they were both in
southern CA.

I have been seen for years here in Oregon by ophthalmologists, reported
floaters and flashes and loss of vision, and never before was it even
suggested that I might be headed for retinal detachment... I'm
disappointed so far in the level of expertise up here, so you'll
forgive me for making a few inquiries as to clinic / dr. suggestions

 

Perhaps we aren't understanding. Do you actually have a detached retina
right now, or just a risk of it? There are preventative treatments,
which could be scheduled in the future.

 

Right now, this moment. Up until last night, had 30% total loss of
vision due to retinal detachment in left eye. 15% in right eye. Lost
10% more today in the left eye (est). Called the Retina Northwest
today, asked if they could step up the appt. (was for 28th). They gave
me an appointment for the 24th instead.

Should I consider another clinic?

Any suggestions?

 

The longer you wait, the more vision youll lose. I cant believe the
nerve of them! You may become 100% blind in a few days! I suggest you
go to the hospital now! I dont even think you are for real. Here you
are with 50% vision loss and you are sitting by the computer and typing
and waiting patiently for an appointment while you lose more and more
vision!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I really, really don't understand. If you have a retinal detachment,
you need to be seen *right now*. Not tomorrow, not later tonight, but
*right now*. Go to the emergency room in the hospital, and demand
immediate treatment. Tell them that you are losing your vision, and it
isn't ever coming back, and if they don't fix it *right now*, they are
in big trouble.

I had a detachment last summer, and I was in the OR within 4 hours.

 

I think there has got to have been a communications breakdown. This
whole thread makes no sense, unless the patient is actually somewhere
like Portland, Iraq.

w.stacy, o.d.

 

This newsgroup has some communications problems. We don't need to name
names. We just need to communicate what the casual reader needs to know.

 

I don't understand. If it is such great danger to wait until the 28th,
why would a retina specialty clinic like Retina Northwest (Portland,
OREGON) not make an appointment for at least the following day to two?

My ophthalmologist (MD) referred me to the clinic (Retina Northwest) -
but I'm now worried from what I'm being told here that they (Retina
Northwest) is not too professional. If it was so risky to wait until
the 28th, would they (the 'retina experts') do that?

Please explain....I'm concerned the quality of medical attention here
in Portland, Oregon is very poor.

 

Is it possible that the clinic is not aware that you
have a detached retina? Perhaps it was communicated
as a general referal for an initial consultation? Maybe
you could call there and ask that a doctor be made
aware of your immediate condition?

-Quick

 

Your reaction is also a bit odd. It's been days and the
doctors here implied your your described condition had
immediacy in terms of hours. Your response hasn't seemed
go past expressing concern over the medical expertise
available in your area. Have you even called anyone?
The refering doctor? To tell him they gave you an appointment
for the 28th? The clinic to see if a doctor there is aware of
the condition you were referred for? The local emergency
room to see what they think about it? I got the impression
from the responses here that it's possible that you are hours
away from being permanently blinded.

-Quick

 

When you say referred, did they talk to the retina clinic or did they
give you the name of the retina clinic and you called and made an
appointment? Was the retina clinic told you had a detached retina?

When I had a detached retina, the regular doctors office called the
retina specialists office and got me an appointment the following day.

 

I think that is what needs to be done. Somehow it sounds like the
urgency was not passed on. And part of that may be that 'topwebchoice"
does not seem to comprehend the urgency.

 

This thread is bizzare. My guess is the true diagnosis has something to
do with a flap tear or somthing else that can LEAD to a detachment as
compared to a retinal detachment. Or maybe a central serous
maculopathy, given the VA reduction. Something that can be put off with
relative safety. I hope the original poster clarifies this at some
point, and tells us the outcome.

w.stacy, o.d.

 

I understand (as a layperson) that it is more like months than hours to
permanent blindness. It is a permanent vision loss that should be
worried about.

That's more a matter of hours. With my first detachment, I called.
They wanted to see me *now*. Not tomorrow, not later this afternoon,
not after lunch, but right now.

I have suffered a permanent vision loss. My left eye sees fine in
seeing to the right. However, my nose is in the way. I have to turn my
head to see to the right.

 

Charles: To clarify, the ophthalmologist told me in no uncertain terms
that I had retinal detachment with at least 30% vision loss in the left
eye (solid 'black curtain' from the top right of visual field). He
immediately ('stat' was his term) ordered his medical asst. to make the
first appt. with Retina Northwest. I was present when she did it, and
she clearly explained that it was for a retinal detachment. I called
MYSELF last friday to tell Retina Northwest that my vision loss has
gotten noticeably worse in the previous days, and they bumped up my
appt. from the 28th of this month to the 24th.

I dont understand why some in this thread have implied I've mishandled
this situation. I was posting here for (hopefully) helpful information.
If anyone knows of any retina specialty clinic here in Portland, Oregon
which might be somewhat more responsive, I'd really consider it (and
appreciate any helpful info, please).

Someone suggested I go to the ER. Why would I do that? I've already
been diagnosed in no uncertain terms by the first MD/ophthalmologist
with detached retina. What good would that do?

 

I think some of us are surprised that you were not scheduled for an
appointment sooner than the 28th. My experience was that I was
schedualed right away. But I am only going on my experience as a
patient, I am not a doctor, or an expert on the urgency. Personaly if
they had schedualed me so far off for an appointment, and I had a solid
black curtain in the top of my visual field I would have found another
specialist, there must be several in a city the size of Portland or
went to their office and talked them into seeing me sooner.

One thing I find dubious is that your initial post stated that the
clinic wanted to use old fashioned surgical methods rather than a gas
bubble. If you havn't been examined by the clinic how do you know, or
how would they know what method they might use? Any repair is going to
be surgical. Whether they use a buckle or a gas bubble would be
determined after an examination. In my case they told me they were
going to use a buckle after the examination but changed their mind and
did the gas bubble at the surgery.