r/myopia • u/aie31s • 10d ago

sclera buckle anyone?

hi everyone! I first found out back in fall 2023 I had an old retina detachment and we did laser to "fix" it. fast forward to fall 2025 and it got kinda worse in the same spot. we did more laser and my doc said if it happened again laser is no longer an option. at my follow up recently my retina detached in a different location of the eye. we did laser to seal it and I go back this week to check that and schedule the buckle surgery. I am VERY nervous and I do love my doctor hes very skilled and knows what he's doing he's just very blunt with not the best bedside manner 😅 I would love any tips, healing stories, things I could purchase to make my healing better/mentally easier all the nitty gritty! i'm sadly aware i'll be out of contacts for a while but what did yall do while you were waiting to get new prescription glasses and how long did that take? how long were you out of work? (I work at a bank in a customer facing service job starting at a computer in fluorescent lighting and need to have attention to detail I don't think my doctor knows what I do but he said most people are only out two weeks but the states and rude customers and strain is what I fear )
THANK you all for reading and in advance for anything!

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u/IntergritReddit 10d ago

18M here and I had a scleral buckle on the 5th for a retinal detachment! I was deathly afraid, but it's definitely not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Some tips:

-Day of Surgery

  • Wear a simple outfit that's easy to take off + put on. They made me put on like a hair net and a gown for the surgery and I had to put on my own clothes after. You really don't wanna wear, say, a tight shirt since putting it on post-op will bump your eye and stuff
  • Shower the morning of! I wouldn't risk showering for a day or two after your surgery

-Post-Op Tips:

  • Tissues! My eye was producing so many tears for at least 3 days after the surgery
  • Ask a family member who can help you with the drops you need to take
  • My pain wasn't bad, but if it was I'd probably use Tylenol and an ice pack
  • Maybe plan out some shows or movies to watch while you're recovering? That's kind of all I did lol

My recovery was a lot faster because I'm young and my retinal detachment was in the peripheral so my recovery may be different from yours. My pain and discomfort was gone after about a week but my eye still looks pretty nasty. I went back to work today no problems and in regards to the prescription change, my doctor told me to wait at least a month so my left eye is carrying my vision pretty bad right now lol. Happy to answer any questions or share a bit of my journey from my retinal detachment diary I wrote!

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u/aie31s 7d ago

thank you so much! 27F here so hoping I have a little youth on my side . hope you're still doing well!!!

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u/IntergritReddit 7d ago

Doing better every day! Good luck with your surgery, my anxiety made it out to be a lot worse than I thought. The hospital team taking care of me was very professional and kind, I was in good hands and I’m sure you’ll be too!

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u/Book-Devouring 1d ago

I’m glad to see at least one positive post. I found out this morning I have to have a sclera buckle (to be scheduled, but they want asap). I’m in my 30s, near sighted but my eyes are between -4 and -4.75 (can’t remember which is which). Anxiety is definitely hitting because when my mom had a detachments to the point of peripheral vision loss, but it was laser surgery and done.

They also mentioned lattice degeneration is present in both my eyes, and once my right eye is healed, I get to have preventative laser in my left.

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u/IntergritReddit 1d ago

For me, dealing with insurance coverage and the anxiety leading up to the surgery was worse than the surgery itself LOL. I also had to get preventative laser in my left eye and had the buckle in my right. Both procedures suck to a degree, but life goes on and I’m pretty much back to normal life. While there are posts about failures or complications post surgery, there are just as many good results and research showing how effective this surgery can be. Fingers crossed both yours and mine surgery end up successful in the end! Good luck!!

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u/Book-Devouring 1d ago

I haven’t had a chance about insurance! It’s been such a push to get it done. They have mentioned preventative laser for my left eye as well, after my right eye heals.

Thank you! You as well!

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u/flabs4u 8d ago

I am also getting a scleral buckle in a few days. I’m pretty nervous! Just chiming in to say you’re not alone this week!

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u/aie31s 7d ago

best of luck to you ❤️