Eye Exam and Possible Procedure

This Thursday, Hazel will make another trip to the surgery center located on the top floor of the Texas Eye Institute.  The initial reason for this visit is to get an EUA (exam under anesthesia) where both her glaucoma doctor and cornea doctor can exam her progress...but there is a possibility that there will need to be another surgery in addition to the exam.  

Let me explain...

This will be Hazel's third trip to this particular surgery center...the first two visits were for her recent surgeries to relieve pressure from her eyes in a procedure known as a combination trabeculotomy-trabeculectomy.  Basically, the surgery is meant to create additional passages in her eye where fluid can drain.  These two procedures were a success at the time of surgery, but there is not a real definitive way to tell if they were a complete success without having her eyes re-examined and getting an accurate measure of her eye pressure.  The biggest threat to Hazel's vision at this point in her life is glaucoma and the eye pressure it creates.  If her eye pressure is too high it can pinch or strain the optic nerve in the back of her eye.  After a certain amount of time the nerve can become damaged to the point that it cannot function -- and that's when the lights go out for good.

In a perfect scenario, we would only be giving Hazel steroid eye drops to help the cornea transplants...but right now her pressures have been high enough that an additional eye drop is needed to keep her pressure in the preferred range.  We usually try and get an eye pressure check when we go to doctor visits, but it is getting harder and harder to convince Hazel to cooperate.  On Thursday they will get an accurate measure of her eye pressure and make a decision on whether or not to take a more drastic step to fight eye pressure.  The possible surgery would involve placing a plate on the upper portion of her eye that would be hidden behind her upper eye lid.  This small plate would also have a small tube attached which CAN be inserted into her eye if her eye pressure ever decides to spike and cannot be controlled with eye drops.  This is the last stand against eye pressure and carries with it some higher risks of damage to various parts of her eye if the tube is ever used.  If we ever had to place the tube into her eye is would be because there is no other option -- it's place the tube or risk losing her vision.

There is no guarantee that Hazel will need the plate to be placed on her eye, but I've been dread this day ever since I knew it was a possibility.  Nothing about her eyes has been easy and Thursday will no exception.  We are hoping that her eye pressure will be low enough that there will not be a need for more drastic measures to fend off her glaucoma.  But who knows...

We would appreciate any prayers this week for Hazel's eye pressure to be between 15 and 20, for positive reports about her previous surgeries and a sense of calm for Aubree and I.  I will try and post again on Thursday night or soon after with any news.  This will be the 7th time Hazel has gone under anesthesia and possibly her 5th eye surgery, so we will take all the prayer that we can get.

Hope everyone is having a great week.