What It Was Like Having Retinal Surgery

Day of Surgery

(February 23, 2017)  When I awoke there was more darkness so much more that I only had a third of my vision left but when I would blink part of my vision would come back for a second then darkness would immediately fill my eye again. 

I arrived at the hospital at 8: a.m. and about an hour later I was called to the back to get ready for surgery. I met my nurse who set up my I.V.and asked the usual questions about my health. She explained that though I would be awake during the surgery, I would be unaware of what was happening due to the calming effects of the medication the anesthesiologist would give me. After she finished setting up my I.V. I asked her how long the surgery would last and she said the surgery would be be about an hour to an hour and a half long.

I met the anesthesiologist who asked more questions about my health and repeated the same information I'd given the nurse. Immediately after the anesthesiologist one of the doctor's I'd met the day before came by and asked how I was feeling as he put drops into my eye. After him followed the ophthalmologist who told me that surgery would be starting soon. He asked if I was okay, and I told him I was as calmly as I could, but I really wasn't feeling okay, because... well, I was about to have surgery. My very first surgery in fact. 

I'm not sure if he could see how nervous I was, but he assured me that they would take good care of me. He told me a needle would be used to inject a numbing medication into my eye but I wouldn't feel it or even remember it. 

He explained that I would be awake during the entire procedure, but in a twilight state. He said during the surgery I would feel a lot of pressure in my eye and still be able hear them (the doctors) talking. 

He also said that I needed to be very still the entire time and asked if I could do that, and answered "yes." as calmly I could. Soon after, the other doctor returned to put more drops into my eye and the anesthesiologist put medication into my I.V. as I was wheeled off to surgery.

The Operation

The operating room was steely and cold just as it appears on T.V. but I was met with warm welcome as I was wheeled in, though the whole time I kept praying that whatever the anesthesiologist put in my I.V. would start very working soon.

I was moved from the hospital bed to the operating table. Heart monitors were placed onto my chest and a blood pressure cusp was place onto my right arm. Both arms were placed into a cold silicone-like pad that immediately warmed to my body's temperature and then I was covered with very warm blankets. A nurse asked me to recite my full name and birthday in which I did then surgery began.

I remember a blue cloth was draped over my face that had a screen opening for my right eye and my left eye was exposed but after that, my memory is pretty foggy. I do recall feeling some pressure in my eye just as the doctor had described and I'd often find myself waking up with no memory of falling asleep or even feeling sleepy so the medication did it's job.

Though I couldn't see out of my left eye, there were times during surgery when I saw shadows of the doctors hands moving above my face. At one point I heard the doctor say "Lets do a little more laser then close her up." I remember thinking that it hadn't felt like an hour at all but I was glad that it was almost over.

Towards the end I felt some pressure and pinching in my eye which was a bit uncomfortable but before I started to feel any real discomfort the anesthesiologist gave me more medication and I drifted off. 

The last thing I remember was hearing the doctor calling my name and asking if I could hear him. He sounded really pleased as he told me that everything went really well.

The cloth was removed from my face and my eye was immediately bandaged. I was helped back onto the hospital bed, laying face down and wheeled into the recovery area where I was given the usual snack; graham crackers and apple juice. As I lay face down and groggy my eye immediately started to hurt. The pain felt like a metal bottle cap was being pressed into my eye.

In less than an hour I was discharged from the hospital with instructions to lie face down or on my right side for at least 12 hours a day. I could not lay back or sit up-right until the gas bubble disappeared. I was also told to avoid getting water near my eye. I was scheduled to return to the retina clinic the next morning to see the ophthalmologist who would remove my bandage. 

I prayed that the surgery would repair my eye. I remember during my groggy anesthetic state after surgery mentioning to one of the doctors, before before the bandage was placed over my eye, that I still couldn't see but he said once the swelling went down I should be able to see again soon.