After Trab worry

[stephanie1977]

Hello fellow people who have had trabeculectomies.

It has been 4 months since my right eye had a Trabeculectomy. Things are pretty good with a pressure of 9 which is very nice for me. I am thinking now about surgery in the other eye BUT am not keen on a Trabeculectomy. I'm afraid of the risks of blebitis and endophthalmitis!😔 So much so I am super careful about touching the eye at all or even washing my face. I am paranoid all the time. I can not get this fear in perspective. Does anyone have some realistic thoughts and advice on the risk of infection? Thank you!!!

[Toby_from_London]

Hi Stephanie,

I had a microshunt inserted recently which is a minimally invasive procedure with therefore less recovery time than a traditional trab, but of course still risks. 5 months later things are still going well, with my IOP down from 42 to 11. Maybe this is an option you could discuss with your consultant?

It’s a fairly new procedure so there isn’t a great deal of long term information available, but your surgeon will be able to advise whether this would be a suitable alternative to a trab for you.

Happy to answer any questions you may have, or you could search for my earlier posts which include a lot more detail.

Take care and good luck for your next procedure🙂

[stephanie1977 in reply to Toby_from_London]

Hi Toby,

Wow that was nice to go to 11 with your microshunt. What was the shunt called?

[Toby_from_London in reply to stephanie1977]

Hi Stephanie,

Yes; I'd already lost sight in one eye due to late diagnosis so will be forever grateful to my surgeon and the staff at Moorefield's.

So it's a Preserflo shunt. The procedure is quicker and less invasive than a trab, so offers a faster recovery time and less post-op visits.

I'm unsure as to whether everyone is suitable for MIGS (I wasn't offered a trab as an alternative) but certainly a questions to ask your consultant.

Take care.

[Cornwalleyes]

Hi I had a trabulectomy just over two months ago and all has gone well. I know what you mean about being ultra careful, I have normal pressure glaucoma so my pressure went from 12 to 6. As time has gone on I have been less stressed about infections and rubbing my eye. I’m a sea swimmer so have been splashed a few times since the op. I shower every day with that eye shut. Also I can now pat my eye dry very gently. As my life has gone back to normal I have also been a couple of hours late taking my drops on the odd occasion. I think infections are much more likely in the first couple months so if you are four months on you are doing great. I guess I take the view that long term the trab shouldn’t make anything in my life more complicated or stressful.

[stephanie1977 in reply to Cornwalleyes]

Hello Cornwall eyes, thanks for your answer and so nice that you have a positive attitude. I too am a sea swimmer and have read that because of the Trab I should use big scuba diving like goggles. Have you been told to take any swimming precautions for down the road?

[Cornwalleyes in reply to stephanie1977]

I’m shortsighted and lucky I swim breast stroke so always wore an old pair of glasses to swim in anyway. Now if it’s a bit choppy I wear Aquasphere Eagle swim goggles. You can get them with prescription lenses. They aren’t huge like scuba diving ones but bigger than the normal tiny goggles. I only swim for around half an hour so my eye seems to cope with the pressure from the goggles. Don’t give up the swimming, it’s so good for you.

[Vich81]

Hello. I’ve had mine for 12 years (41 now) and there is always some element of being careful. Your eye eye is different to what it is was before. Just always be protective of it and respect it. But it’s been 4 months now. You need to clean your face :). Buy some face cloths, use an oil based cleanser that’s thick and doesn’t require foaming and splashing if you are worried. It’s good to be thinking about what might be bad for the eye but it’s not healthy to become paranoid about it. I use Blephaclean wipes to keep my eye clean, always do my best not to get splashed with water (it’s an art now washing my hair in the shower!), I try not to bend my head too much or lift heavy items. I somehow escaped getting the left one done but I know one day I’ll need something, I’m not going worry about that just now. That eye has enough going on with it. Anyway, the point I just wanted to make is be careful but try not to over fret about it, little things will happen and you probably will get something in your eye at one point and it will live to tell the tale.

[stephanie1977]

Thank you Vich81,

I think I'll be ok about being protective of one eye, but both ( if I do Trab in my other eye) I think is too much for me! I am going to look into and talk to my Doctor about other blebless surgical options!

[SpaceBend]

the risk of infection is always there with any of the procedures.

It’s something you live with. Luckily in the U.K. we have moorfields with an A&E dedicated for eye care. When I’m really worried about something. I go there wait for around 4+ hours and get an experts opinion.

[Hidden]

Hi Stephanie, I think the paranoia does fade in time. I've had trabs in both eyes now and although I am certainly still careful regarding my eyes I no longer have the fear of infection I did initially.

I clean my make up brushes every week , change my mascara every 3 months and try not to get water in my eyes when washing my hair. I use Liz Earle eyebright to take off eye make up and don't touch my eye area unnecessarily. To me it's just common sense and taking care of my eyes . I'm just limiting my chance of contracting an infection.

As Vichy81

says be protective of your eye but don't overthink it and let it take over your life .

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Witchie,

 just wondering, as you mention make up, how long after your trab were you allowed to wear mascara?

I had my surgery 5 weeks ago and am desperate to start wearing make -up again. I know it sounds silly but I think it would really help my mental health to be able to - my eyes have become very sunken due to drops and now the operated eye is quite droopy. I'm young to have glaucoma and feeling utterly ugly at the moment

I'm trying so hard not to be vane about this as I know my sight is more important but it's really getting me down. My job is working as a make-up artist and now I am starting to go back to work and feeling very self conscious going in with a bare face!

[Hidden in reply to Bonniecat7]

Hi Bonniecat I was allowed to wear mascara and eye make up 4 weeks after my operation . I must admit I was very apprehensive the first time I put mascara on after the trab and did wait till nearer the 6 weeks mark. I was also advised to throw all my old eye make out and start afresh,which I did. It's not remotely silly and vain as our emotional health is every bit as important as our physical. I too had a droopy eyelid after my first trab but it did very slowly right itself and maybe after 2 to 3 months it was back to normal

My eye area was very red due to the side effects of Ganfort and it definitely does effect your self esteem and it was lovely to be able to put on make up and disguise the effects of drops and the trab. I totally understand the feeling of being ugly,which I'm sure you aren't but it's a state of mind when you look in mirror and your eye doesn't look like yours anymore.

You are young to have glaucoma and to be going through this. I guess you are a living advert for your skills as a make up artist and you will be able to be again.

Keeping our vision is obviously of paramount importance but it's not wrong to want to be happy with the way be look .

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply Witchie. I'm at 6 weeks after and they're still saying no. I've had a hyphema every week since the op when they have massaged the bleb, so probably because of that🤦🏼‍♀️I have already bought new mascara and disposable wands in anticipation so ready to go when they say yes! But I know what you mean about being apprehensive.....I feel very protective over that eye now and don't really want to put anything near it! Might use fine false lashes on the lid to start instead of mascara, so no risk of anything going in it 😆

[Hidden in reply to Bonniecat7]

I had to google hyphema as I had never heard of it. Are they massaging the bleb because you are healing too quickly ? It sounds like they are definitely erring on the side of caution with you, which I think is a good thing.Fine eye false eye lashes sounds like a good idea especially to start with . I never knew there was such a thing as disposable eye wands ,I've thrown out so many mascaras when I didn't need to 😱. I have actually ordered 50 and a new Charlotte Tilbury mascara 😊. I have recently been buying 2 of the mini size of her mascara instead of one normal size. I don't feel as upset throwing out a mini !!!

Hopefully it won't be too long until your eye is behaving itself and you start looking like you again. 🤞

[Bonniecat7 in reply to Hidden]

Good news, I had an appointment yesterday and they said I could start wearing make-up now! 😁It was a lady doctor this time so she understood. She recommended I get Blephaclean wipes to cleanse all the last bits of make-up off with. Said it's important to get all the residue so it doesn't end up in my eye. When I looked up the brand, they do a lotion which people in the reviews say removes eye make-up, 'Blephasol'. So I'm going to have a go with that and see if it's effective on its own or may end up using a cleanser first then finishing with it.

Re mascara wands......I intend to save one of the old ones from a throw out tube and clean it between uses with Isopropyl alcohol to sterilise. I think the wand makes a big difference to how it goes on and the disposable ones aren't quite such a good shape. Also superdrug does a pack of different shaped wands I'm going to try. I think the important thing is no double dipping in the mascara tube so it's impossible to infect the contents. It's all standard practice for me at work but have never thought to be so hygienic with my own make-up before! 😳

[Hidden in reply to Bonniecat7]

Woohoo that's great news 😊. It's good you had a female consultant who did understand. I use Liz Earle Eyebright to take off my eye makeup and cleanse round my eye area. I keep it in the fridge and it's lovely on cleansing pads first thing in the morning . I will however look up Bkephasol and may buy some too.

That's a good idea keeping an old wand and clean it between uses. I have ordered some MAC disposable wands as I figured the cheaper ones may not be as good. I will look at Superdrug too.

I have always been pretty good with cleaning out my make up bag and throwing away make up but I'm definitely much more conscious of it since my trabs.

Enjoy putting on your eye make up 👀

[NewCardinal]

I've had trabs on both eyes - 2019 and 2020 and one was even re-done in 2021. I do what I was advised to do when I had just had the surgeries. Use a small piece of tissue and freshly boiled (then cooled) water and gently sweep it across the closed eye to wipe away any possible 'debris'. Only use the tissue on one sweep across; use another piece if you want to wipe again. Sterile water seems good to me and not costly either.

[stephanie1977]

So does anyone know about the actual long term risk of infection with a trabeculectomy ? How rare is rare? I think some numbers would help me keep things into perspective especially if I have to do a trab in the other eye. My doctor said that in the past 10 years she has seen like 5 cases of blebitis.😐

[Hidden in reply to stephanie1977]

Stephanie I don't know any facts or figures, I just know my consultant told me with a trab I would always be more at risk of an eye infection than others without a trab. I just minimise my risk by not touching my eyes or face in general without first washing my hands. I've had 2 cataract ops and 2 trabs and touch wood, so far no infections