Macular Holes and Vitamin A deficiency/toxicity?

Hey guys,

I am wondering if anyone has heard about or experienced a macular hole and whether this could be related to vitamin deficiency or toxicity?  I was diagnosed with one in August and when I went for follow up appointment to see how the corrective surgery had worked, it was found that I now have a hole in the other eye.

I have no reason to suspect that this is related to my surgery or vitamin intake (apart from the fact that Vitamin A deficiency is associated with vision loss and macular degeneration), and my eye surgeon says he doesn't really know why this happens, but it just happens with aging.  I am just curious as to whether this issue has come up for anyone else.

Thanks

Challie

In my several years on this board, I've never heard it mentioned

I don't know about the macular hole.  I know that in the 6 mo since my surgery, I've had 4 different visits to my eye Dr.  4 different rx's (totally).  I have been told that I have to keep my Vit A up!  I take 10000 units a day now.

Were you diabetic prior to your surgery? If so, it's far more likely to be caused from the years of damage to your eyes form your diabetes than any vitamin deficiency.  Vitamin A is related to night blindness, but not macular holes.   I would find it highly unlikely that your surgery plays any part in your macular holes.  Has to do with your vitreous pulling on your retina..nothing more.  If you've had one retinal tear, you're likely to have another.  That's why you should follow up with your vitreoretinal surgeon regularly.  Hopefully they can catch issues early so that they can laser you, use cryo, or use a gas bubble rather than relying on actual surgery.

Good luck :)

No I have never been diabetic.

I have read that macular degeneration is treated with vitamin supplementation that may include A, D and E.  This suggests that the strength and or health of the macula might be affected by vitamin levels.  I was told by my retinal surgeon that it is rare that a person would get macular holes in both eyes.  When I was treated for my  first hole (with surgery whi*****ludes inserting a gas bubble into the eye), he told me that the the vitreous had separated almost entirely from the macula in the other eye so it is very unlikely that I would get a hole in the other eye.  It was during one of my many follow up visits for the first eye that the hole in the second eye was discovered and my surgeon finds it odd that this happened.

I also think it is a long shot that a vitamin deficiency is the cause of the holes however I think is is something I need to consider.

Thanks for your feedback.

What about severe myopia? (Really nearsighted? That makes your eye more egg shaped which puts tension on the vitreous and increases the likelihood of a retinal tear.)

Sounds like you were just unlikely if it's true that the vitreous had separated almost entirely from the macula in the other eye and you still had a tear.  

You need to keep your vitamin levels up regardless--but honestly, I've never seen anything in the literature related to vitamin deficiencies and retinal tears or macular holes. Cochrane in 2012 actually questioned the effectiveness of supplements too in preventing AMD. (Mainly because all of the evidence is based on the one B&L funded AREDS study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23152201 )     I'm assuming you don't have AMD--or else you would have mentioned it.  Abdominal obesity is supposedly a risk factor in AMD--but then again, you don't have AMD.  

In googling, some natural health website suggested Mg helped with macular holes...once again, something I"ve never heard before...but doesn't mean it can't be true.  How are your vitamin levels?? Are you getting your labs done? Did you notice any differences/deficiencies before your eye issues?

My guess is that there simply isn't a big enough (yet) population of DS and RNY patients who've had eye issues to cause any sort of research--but you never know.  If your surgeon is associated with a teaching hospital, you could suggest that he coordinate with the bariatric surgery department to see if there is any sort of correlation.  

Sorry you had to go through this.  I hope that your surgery has been successful.  

I had never heard of macular holes...but I do know that macular degeneration can be genetic in nature. In looking at macular holes, I found this study which indicates that it also could be genetic. The sample size is very small so obviously it's just conjecture but that is where most of these start, as conjecture.

Your age may also be a factor.

I do know that my dh had to switch to seeing an ophthalmologist versus an optician for his eye exams and medical will now pay for those exams instead of vision as he had a grandmother with macular degeneration (he JUST found out about it and his mom has known for over a decade). And macular degeneration is genetic.

Liz