Q: My father is suffering from an eye disease for which he has undergone a surgery at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. The problem was diagnosed as profound visual impairment of the left eye, moderate visual impairment of the right eye, complicated cataract in the left eye, full thickness macular hole of the right eye, total rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with pvr of the left eye and systemic hypertension. The operative procedure used was lensectomy, vitrectomy, belt buckling, membrane peeling, endo-laser, trans scleral cryo and silicone oil injections in the left eye. I want to know about the success rate of retinal detachment. How many days does he have to wait for full vision. He is using powered glasses and the power was increased when checked.

A:Sankara Nethralaya is one of the best institutions for the eye in India. It seems that retinal detachment was total and long standing in left eye and chances of successful improvement in vision is remote. This operation needs very careful positioning of silicon which would have been used during the operation; that is why prone position is preferred so that heavy oil pushes the retina to seal the large tear in the retina in spite of that the chances of good visual recovery may take several months and will not be complete. Right macular hole does not get much better inspite of operation and only gives small blindspot even if left alone and this eye would still have good peripheral navigational vision. Use large magnifying glasses in addition to reading glasses to read with right eye.