By Lisa Ansay —
Today was the appointment with the ophthalmologist Taylor was referred to by his plastic surgeon. This particular ophthalmologist works a lot with facial trauma as an oculoplastic surgeon.
Oculoplastic Surgery is a surgical subspecialty of Ophthalmology that deals with the medical and surgical management of deformities and abnormalities of the orbit (bony socket), tear ducts, eyelids and the adjacent face. An Oculoplastic Surgeon is an Ophthalmologist (medical doctor and eye surgeon) who has completed additional advanced training in plastic surgery as it relates to the eyes and surrounding structures.
I had to look it up so I thought I’d share.
The wait was long at the office, but a few folks offered reassurance that this doctor is well worth the wait. There was a sign posted that said something like: ‘plan on 2-3 hours per appointment’. And that’s about how long we were there.
He examined Taylor thoroughly, and then brought in his colleague for a second opinion. The opthalmologist then sent us over to a retinologist in Phoenix, “one of the best in the business”, for two more exams by retina specialists. – Long day.
The question at hand is – are the eyes healthy enough to warrant an extremely risky surgery to correct the orbit/floor behind his left eye. The answer was not a resounding yes, but it was a yes. There is no evidence of retinal detachment or other defects aside from pale optic nerves. It was explained, however, that a healthy structure is not the only variable as to whether someone has vision or not. It is a very complex system.
MRIs, CTs, etc. are being forwarded to the opthalmologist this week, and we have another appointment in 7-10 days for another look at everything.
