Halloween Surgery?

It has been almost 2 years since Walter had a corneal transplant and lens replacement surgery in his right eye. His sight has been up and down since then.

One issue a corneal transplant does not address is high eye pressure problems also known as glaucoma. It was high eye pressure that took the vision of Walter's left eye some years ago and he is on multiple eyedrop medications for glaucoma in his right eye as well. Even with three different medications the eye pressure is too high so Walter was referred to be evaluated by the same glaucoma specialist he first saw about three years ago.

The glaucoma doctor told Walter about a surgery that would likely relieve his eye pressure problems. They basically add a small metal plate up under the upper eyelid and create a space for fluid to drain. Then they add a shunt (a tube, or as Walter likes to call it "a drainage pipe") to enhance the eye's natural drainage system.

The doctor had us try a different medication routine first, but that effort failed miserably. I couldn't go to Walter's eye doctor appointment today because I was with Mom at her MRI. When I got home Walter broke the news that he is scheduled for surgery on Halloween.

That's probably good news because it sounds like this surgery has a good potential to help him. At the least it should forestall further decline in Walter's vision from the high eye pressure. Without it his right eye would surely go the way of his left (to black). Also, he may experience some vision increase from the surgery because the undrained fluids that collect behind his cornea cause cloudy vision which has been a persistent problem for Walter. And if all goes well he may be able to do away with his glaucoma medications for the right eye.

Of course the surgery comes with risks as all surgery does. There will be an hour on the operating table with general anesthesia. But it appears to be a more straightforward (easier) procedure than the one he had two years ago, so we are optimistic.

Maybe I should get Walter a black eye patch to go over his surgical eye patch so he can be a pirate for Halloween. What do you think?