Since the goal of radiation therapy is to prevent the tumor from growing, don't be concerned if your tumor shrinks slowly. A residual lump of shrunken tumor usually persists for years after treatment. This is because there is a small chance the tumor will regrow or your eye may develop radiation-related problems, which may require treatment. In addition to seeing your local ophthalmologist, we recommend that you return for a complete ophthalmic oncology examination at least on a yearly basis. The amount of vision loss depends on what your vision was before treatment, how close the tumor is to the center of your retina, and how sensitive your tissues are to radiation.
Most eyes maintain some central vision, and almost all retain peripheral vision.
Plaque radiation does not affect the vision in the other eye. You should not lift any objects greater than 10 pounds for the first two weeks after surgery. Then you can return to normal activity. Patients usually return to school or work within 2-4 weeks after completion of treatment. This web site is optimized for Netscape 3.0 compliant browsers.