have a friend who 2 months ago got hit in eye by opponent returning tennis ball.

he is going in for surgery monday to get scar tissue removed.

i am far from convinced this is safest + best treatment.

not sure if laser is going to be used or a knife to cut scar tissue out.

has anyone any advice.

He won't be having eye surgery without consulting an ophthalmologist.
Are we talking about corneal scarring?
Corneal scarring interferes with vision significantly because it unevenly refracts the light rays entering the eye causing problems with distortion and glare.
A lot of scarring will diminish with time after an injury, but residual scarring may need to be removed surgically to improve vision.
The cornea is nicely constructed in parallel layers so it is relatively simple to remove layers until you have a smooth surface, then healing will result in a smooth cornea again, not irregular, as with the scarring.
The ophthalmologist will have done hundreds if not thousands of these. Laser produces very fine results but good results can be achieves with a "knife" also.

If we are talking scarring inside the eye, then it is absolutely essential to have it removed before nasty sequelae such as retinal detachments develop.

Do not worry. I'm sure your friend is getting the right advice and is in expert hands. Ophthalmologists train for a very long time before they are allowed to do these things.

evlPanda said...



OK, so I scratched my eye about 18 months ago with a palm leaf, as in when they are still a sharp shard before they open. It still hurts when my eye is closed if I wake up too early/have little sleep/am tired.

Ideas? Scarring?

if I wake up too early/have little sleep/am tired.
This suggests your eye may be a little dry (not producing enough tears). Try some artificial tears from the chemist and see if that helps.
Otherwise a small piece of the palm frond may have broken off and lodged in your eye. They can be so small that magnification is needed to see and remove them. Consult your ophthalmologist if pain persists...

petermac33 said...
has anyone any advice.

you are not seriously considering medical advise from an online forum? especially not this one...

it is not corneal scarring + he says it is not laser treatment.

laser treatment is called lasiak, many on y/tube say dont get it done.

cut, burn + drug is clearly way of modern medicine.

it happened 1st week in september, so cutting or burning an eye does not seem good option to me.

he has only 40 percent vision in injured eye.

cannot find any info on net of cutting out scarring with knife.

a year minimum to let nature heal, is what i am going to tell him.

he goes in monday.

petermac33 said...
many on y/tube say dont get it done.

youtube is always my first port of call for medical advice, or any advice in general about my life. So many knowledgable people comment on the videos...

Squid Lips said...

petermac33 said...
many on y/tube say dont get it done.

youtube is always my first port of call for medical advice, or any advice in general about my life. So many knowledgable people comment on the videos...

.....and seabreeze is always my second port of call. Saved my wife from a pulmonary embolism [see: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=My_wife_is_dying_on_the_kitchen_floor_-any_advice=-2#lastpost] and saved me a truck load on medical bills - thankyou Seabreeze.

i find google best, and it returns both seabreeze and youtube answers. so you get a 2nd opinion

petermac33 said...

you say better to take advice of trained experts. tell that to the people who have had permanent eye damage done by this lasik treatment.

taking a blade to cut out scar tissue on an eye that has not had time to heal,it just does not make sense to me.

just got off phone from speaking to my other friend + he says no way would he have the surgery.

listened to trained eye specialists on y/tube say lasik is a definate no..no.

cutting scarring out with a blade, is that not damaging in itself to eye.

glad its not my problem.

Mate,
Let the professionals deal with it, the BS that gets pushed around the Internet can confuse anyone, friends can be biased and have not seen the injury or what is required to repair it.
Windy's info is spot on, if in doubt get a second and third option.
These professionals don't operate on eye's for fun.
My 2c

windys info is well meaning + maybe spot on, depending on which trained expert you listen too.

my 2 cents worth is give it time to heal itself first.

thanks for all feedback though.

petermac33 said...

it is not corneal scarring + he says it is not laser treatment.

laser treatment is called lasiak, many on y/tube say dont get it done.

cut, burn + drug is clearly way of modern medicine.

it happened 1st week in september, so cutting or burning an eye does not seem good option to me.

he has only 40 percent vision in injured eye.

cannot find any info on net of cutting out scarring with knife.

a year minimum to let nature heal, is what i am going to tell him.

he goes in monday.

You, presumably an untrained person when it comes to the human eye, are going to tell a friend that in your unresearched opinion that he should wait a minimum of a year to let it heal before doing something about it?

The internet is a good way to research some things, but does not make you an expert on the healing of the human eye.

The trouble with the internet is that you can get an opinion on just about anything, and to make it worse, the negative opinions about somethings seem to be more abundant than the positive. I.e. the people that are angry are more vocal - no kidding.

Do your friend a favor and ask your friend to get a second or third opinion if he is unsure, but otherwise tell him not to listen to you.

petermac33 said...
listened to trained eye specialists on y/tube say lasik is a definate no..no.

FN LLLOOOOOLLLLLLL!!!!!
But seriously, we all drive cars don't we? Risks are everywhere. Besides it sounds like your friend is not getting anything done to their cornea.

Oh no, I just came across "Maggot Therapy" while watching related.

BremboDaLegend says...
Buddy of mine got "hit and run" by a car, we spent a week looking for him and when we found him we were sure he was dead. He had#65279; dried blood and maggots were all ove the side of his head and ground. We called an ambulence immedently as a sign of respect but that didn't matter when I cheaked his pulse, he was alive, in a coma but alive, docters told us that the maggots ate away the infection in his head that would cause poisons to build up and they saved him, he woke up a month later.

Mark _australia said...

I had a headache last week and thought it might be a tumor. Now I have another headache today so I am going to the bait n tackle shop to get some maggots and put them in my ear.

Probably work quicker if you put those maggots in the hole where your eye used to be.

Peter,
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists

EXCIMER LASER SURGERY

The Excimer laser is a surgical instrument used to treat refractive errors by reshaping the cornea. It operates in the far ultraviolet region and it is used to remould or shape the surface of the cornea.

The interaction with corneal tissue results in ablation of the surface of the cornea by a process of photochemical decomposition of molecules without thermal damage. Computer controlled modulation of the laser beam is able to alter the profile or shape of the cornea leaving a smooth surface. These lasers are incorporated in suitable computer controlled medical devices which ophthalmic surgeons use to alter the power of the cornea and correct refractive errors such as myopia, astigmatism and hypermetropia, singly or in combination.

Experimental ophthalmic use of the excimer laser began in 1982 and clinical studies in patients commenced in 1989. Results of these studies indicated that excimer laser treatment is an effective surgical method of correcting certain categories of refractive error with low and acceptable rates of complication in these circumstances. Keratectomies performed with excimer laser can be categorised into either phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK/LASIK).

PHOTOTHERAPEUTIC KERACTECTOMY (PTK)

PTK is a technique for removal of surface irregularities or superficial stromal scars. The superficial layers of the cornea are ablated, sometimes with the use of a surface smoothing substance leaving behind a smooth clear corneal surface with an epithelial defect. The corneal epithelium heals over in three to five days during which time there may be significant pain. The possibility of an infection occurring during the healing phase exists, but is considered very unlikely. Although there are other surgical approaches to these corneal problems the excimer laser provides an alternative treatment, which in many cases is less invasive.

PHOTOREFRACTIVE KERACTECTOMY (PRK)

PRK or surface laser is a similar procedure, but in this instance the superficial ablation of the central cornea is precisely controlled to alter the corneal curvature in a specific manner to correct pre-existing refractive errors. Clinical experience and publications over the last six years indicate that the results of the procedure are most satisfactory in patients with lesser degrees of myopia. The procedure is also capable of correcting astigmatism as well as myopia in a procedure which is less often termed PARK (photo astigmatic refractive keratotomy).

It is not unusual, however, for residual astigmatism to be present following laser surgery especially in cases with high levels of astigmatism.

With higher degrees of myopia the predictability of the procedure is reduced, and the incidence of haze or scarring increases. Nevertheless, with appropriate patient counselling, excimer laser PRK for myopia is considered an acceptable therapeutic modality. Experience with the correction of hypermetropia with excimer laser is relatively limited. Although the results of PRK with low degrees of hyperopia are acceptable, the results of treatment of higher levels of hypermetropia indicate that the problems with predictability and regression render this treatment currently unacceptable.

LASER IN SITU KERATOMILEUSIS (LASIK)

Laser in situ Keratomileusis or LASIK, developed in 1991, describes the use of the Excimer laser to ablate and reshape the corneal stroma following elevation of a corneal flap with a microkeratome. The flap is then repositioned and the corneal shape is therefore modified without disturbing the surface layer. The amount of post-operative discomfort is less and the visual recovery more rapid, but the major advantage is the greater predictability and lower incidence of postoperative haze and regression that the technique offers for patients with higher levels of myopia and hypermetropia. The technique allows retreatment of residual refractive error with greater facility than PRK.

There is, however, a small but significant additional risk of surgical complications with LASIK which are not associated with PRK.

The long term effect of removing corneal tissue is unknown but there is no current data to suggest that this will cause a later complication.

SUMMARY

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists considers that PTK is an acceptable surgical procedure for the correction of some superficial corneal irregularities, or superficial stromal scars, and that PRK and LASIK are acceptable surgical procedures for the correction of refractive errors. As for any surgical procedure, appropriate counselling of patients as to expected outcome and complications is required, and the relative merits of each method need to be considered by the surgeon and the patient in selecting the most appropriate technique for an individual patient.

For sure if one has an injury, then he/she should get professional opinion, perhaps from 2 different angles too. This is serious matter. I wouldn't spend time Googling too much on that.

As to corrective, non-elective eye surgery (which was not the original topic but came up in that thread), then some of the professionals are in a commercial conflict of interest. Not unlike lawyers, the guy who repairs your car, and so on.

Not saying they're not doing an honest job, just that... As to Lasik, the FDA in the US is getting into it. An independent study has found that the satisfaction rate was much less than that publicized by the industry. From memory, the number was 75% rather than 95%. This is almost equally serious matter.

Good luck to your friend.

petermac33 said...

have a friend who 2 months ago got hit in eye by opponent returning tennis ball.

he is going in for surgery monday to get scar tissue removed.

i am far from convinced this is safest + best treatment.

not sure if laser is going to be used or a knife to cut scar tissue out.

has anyone any advice.

My advise is don`t stand so close to the net.........

tell him to get a gps and windsurfer and join the pit crew. all his worrys will be over once he is flying on a plane. and i think the salt water will cure his eye so thats a bonus.

advise i can give ya with with his scare on his eye is: well if it was me you would'nt get me going under the knife, laser maybe, but no knife

let the poor boy go windsurfing and let the sun and salt water heal it, i say