State-of-the-art retinal procedure at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital restores patient’s vision

Seeing is Believing

Katherine Austin was in the middle of an intense fitness class two winters ago when she noticed a sudden loss in her vision. Having completed a rigorous series of burpees, pull-ups and sit-ups, she glanced at the chalkboard to see the next exercise on her trainer’s list. There was just one problem. She couldn’t read the words.

“For months I just thought I needed a new prescription for my glasses, but this made me realize I needed to see my optometrist right away,” says the 66-year-old retired attorney.

At the optometrist’s office, Katherine covered her right eye and struggled to read the big “E” at the top of the eye chart. It was like trying to see through a dense fog. Without hesitation, her doctor referred her to the Retina Group of Washington for an evaluation. Katherine met with Dal Chun, MD, a retina specialist who talked to her in detail about what was going on in her left eye.

“Dr. Chun is extremely meticulous and extremely intelligent and very precise and so I just went with it,” says Katherine.

Sutureless Surgery

After performing a series of tests, Dr. Chun explained to Katherine that she had a hole in the macula, the part of the eye located at the center of the retina. As light shines through the fluid in the eye called the vitreous, it reaches the retina, which sends signals along the optic nerve to the brain. By repairing the hole in the macula, Katherine would be able to see clearly again and, after a brief recovery, could resume her normal activities.

At Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Dr. Chun and his surgical team performed a minimally invasive outpatient procedure called a vitrectomy. Dr. Chun repaired the macular hole using a state-of-the-art microscope and microscopic instruments. He then placed a gas bubble in the eye to close the macular hole during recovery. For five days, Katherine put her activities on hold and maintained a facedown position to allow the gas bubble to stay in place. Over the next three months, she gradually regained her vision. Fortunately, the problem was caught in time.

“It’s very important that if an individual has symptoms that suggest a retinal problem such as new floaters, flashing lights, or a dark curtain blocking their vision or any sudden loss of vision, they should seek immediate retinal care because the sooner we diagnose a retinal tear or detachment, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to preserve their eyesight,” says Dr. Chun.

It turned out that Katherine’s case was due to a congenital adhesion between the retina and the macula, increasing her chance of a recurrence in the other eye. Sure enough, the following June, Katherine was typing a memo at work when she noticed punctuation was missing in many places on the page. Also, the center of the computer screen looked distorted. This time she called Dr. Chun immediately. Thanks to their having caught the problem right away, the results were excellent.

“Writing and typing now is just so much easier. And I’m not afraid to commute,” says Katherine. “If I had not gone in January to see Dr. Chun, I might be blind in my left eye.”

Cutting Edge

At Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, highly skilled retina specialists are available to diagnose and treat a wide range of disorders, including retinal tears or detachment, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and macular holes and puckers. The group uses precision technology to provide patients with the safest medications, laser therapy and surgical treatments available.

“In the last five to 10 years, we have changed our focus from stabilizing vision to improving vision,” says Michael Rivers, MD, a retina specialist at Inova Fair Oaks.

A major advancement is the use of smaller instruments during microsurgery, producing tiny incisions that are self-healing. “Improvements in retinal surgical technology have made it easier to perform surgery in a safer and more controlled fashion with shorter recovery times for our patients,” says Dr. Chun.

And an accurate diagnosis is now easier and more precise. “Optical coherence tomography is used to help visualize the retina in amazing detail. It can diagnose even very small macular holes that may be difficult to identify without this technology, and it can help with surgical planning by allowing us to see the anatomy of the macula in very fine detail,” says Dr. Chun.

Know Your Symptoms

When treated early, many people with retinal diseases are able to see better. If you are very nearsighted, are older than 50, have a family history of retinal detachment, have had cataract surgery, have had a previous retinal detachment in one eye or have experienced eye trauma, you may be at higher risk for a retinal disorder. Call your doctor if you notice any of these signs:

  • New floaters
  • Flashes of light
  • Blurry vision
  • Decreased side vision
  • Curtain-like shadow across your field of vision

Focus on the Retina

Located on the back wall of the eye, the retina contains light-sensitive cells that gather visual data and send signals to your brain via the optic nerve. Diseases of the retina can make it challenging to see straight ahead or to the side. When treated early, retinal disease can be halted and vision improved or restored.

“For retinal diseases such as retinal detachments, macular degeneration, diabetic care and pediatric retinopathy, prompt treatment is extremely important. In the case of diabetics and people with macular degeneration, we like them to be screened with an eye exam once a year. For patients with retinal detachments, they have specific symptoms they should watch for, and if they have those symptoms they should be seen in 24 to 48 hours,” says Dr. Rivers.

1 Comment

  1. Amy on July 17, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    Dr. Woo performed retinal detachment surgery on my at Fair Oaks INOVA in January. I went to the eye doctor on January 3rd, was sent to Dr. Woo that afternoon, and Dr. Woo performed the retinal detachment surgery on the 4th. He was fantastic. I had sceleral buckling surgery on my left eye. The recovery was painful, but he was with me every step of the way. The staff at Fair Oaks INOVA that signed me in, prepped me, took my vitals and more was excellent – and very friendly. I was nervous for the surgery, because everything was happening so quickly – but they helped me relax.

    Every symptom listed above was exactly what I experienced prior to the surgery – esp. the dark curtain covering the inner corner of my left eye. It was covering more and more each day. And the flashes and floaters were slowly increasing.

    I am grateful to Dr. Woo and INOVA Fair Oaks for saving the vision in my left eye!

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