Q: I had three retinal detachment surgeries and a laser done twice in the left eye. In the first surgery the retina was attached using a clip, which came off very soon, so I rushed to the hospital again. Second surgery was done in which they filled oil in the eye, which was removed after six months. Within a month or two the retina detached again and I had partial vision. And so a third surgery was done and the oil was filled again. Laser surgery was done in my left eye after the second and the third surgery. Cataract surgery was also done along with the last surgery. But my vision is still blurred and close to nil. I could not get an appropriate power for my spectacles too. A doctor suggested me to go for a laser in my right eye as a precautionary measure, while another doctor suggests not to risk the second eye. I am confused and depressed please help me. Is there anything called retinal transplant? If yes, then where and whom should I contact?

A:The first surgery you had in the left eye was most likely a scleral buckling. Probable due to proliferative vitreo-retinopathy (PVR), the retina re-detached and was re-attached after a vitrectomy with silicon oil injection. Silicon oil is usually removed when the retina is felt to be securely re-attached but in a small percentage of cases it can re-detach after silicon oil removal. This is what unfortunately happened in your case and necessitated re-injection of oil along with a cataract extraction. Even if the retina is re-attached, the functional recovery after recurrent detachments and proliferative vitreo-retinopathy may be poor. If the other eye has weak areas in the retina you should undergo prophylactic laser as advised to prevent detachment especially since the result in the left eye after you developed retinal detachment has not been very satisfactory. There is no such thing as a retinal transplant.