This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

TheBadge24

New Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2018
Messages
7
Reaction score
4
This question has been on my mind since I became motivated to go into medicine. I have had a permanently detached retina in my left eye since birth, leaving me completely single-sighted. I do have 20-20 vision in my right eye, and feel I have adapted with this mono-vision quite well. I actually went on to become our varsity quarterback and point guard in high school (with proper eye protection, of course), so it hasn't been a deterrent for me this far. However, I am barred from entering any sort of military service because of it. I was wondering, will this also hurt my chances of becoming a surgeon? Orthopedic surgery is an interest of mine, however I am trying my best to avoid narrowing my scope too early and would like to explore other areas, both surgically and non-surgical. I would really appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you in advance!

Members don't see this ad.
 
This question has been on my mind since I became motivated to go into medicine. I have had a permanently detached retina in my left eye since birth, leaving me completely single-sighted. I do have 20-20 vision in my right eye, and feel I have adapted with this mono-vision quite well. I actually went on to become our varsity quarterback and point guard in high school (with proper eye protection, of course), so it hasn't been a deterrent for me this far. However, I am barred from entering any sort of military service because of it. I was wondering, will this also hurt my chances of becoming a surgeon? Orthopedic surgery is an interest of mine, however I am trying my best to avoid narrowing my scope too early and would like to explore other areas, both surgically and non-surgical. I would really appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you in advance!
Did you ask this question on AFB 3 years ago?
 
Eye don’t know if that’s a good idea...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 8 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Yes. You *might* have trouble with microscope assisted surgery but given how much it sucks no one should do micro anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
This question has been on my mind since I became motivated to go into medicine. I have had a permanently detached retina in my left eye since birth, leaving me completely single-sighted. I do have 20-20 vision in my right eye, and feel I have adapted with this mono-vision quite well. I actually went on to become our varsity quarterback and point guard in high school (with proper eye protection, of course), so it hasn't been a deterrent for me this far. However, I am barred from entering any sort of military service because of it. I was wondering, will this also hurt my chances of becoming a surgeon? Orthopedic surgery is an interest of mine, however I am trying my best to avoid narrowing my scope too early and would like to explore other areas, both surgically and non-surgical. I would really appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you in advance!
Anecdotal information for an N=1. I have a friend who's an orthopedic surgeon, with a fellowship in hand surgery. He did a lot of work with reconstructing infants born with hand anomalies. He lost one eye through an accident ten years into his career. He was not able to do microsurgery anymore, and reverted to his base training in general orthopedics and does just fine with that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Anecdotal information for an N=1. I have a friend who's an orthopedic surgeon, with a fellowship in hand surgery. He did a lot of work with reconstructing infants born with hand anomalies. He lost one eye through an accident ten years into his career. He was not able to do microsurgery anymore, and reverted to his base training in general orthopedics and does just fine with that.

Any idea how he was able to do it with impaired depth perception/did he talk about that?
 
Any idea how he was able to do it with impaired depth perception/did he talk about that?
You don't need sophisticated depth perception for the vast majority of orthopedics.

-It will not likely keep you from medical school
-there is no guarantee that any surgical program will take you on with a risk of depth perception with your sight
-lastly ortho is one of the most highly sought surgical specialties and this may work against you.

As I tell all applicants, med school is long and hard and you wind up as FP in a midwest suburb someone. So be aware of the possibilities
No one tested my vision in my residency interviews.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Did you ask this question on AFB 3 years ago?
I did not, this is my first time reaching out about this issue. I saw the previous post from years ago, and wanted to see if anything had changed in the years since then where new contributors had new stories or information, as well as whether this being a reality since birth and never knowing any difference made any difference or not.
 
Any idea how he was able to do it with impaired depth perception/did he talk about that?

Humans and animals with monocular vision use other visual cues to judge distance. Yes, it’s impaired, but you can definitely compensate enough for most ortho procedures.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
The only specialty I can think of that actually tests vision and requires an eye exam is ophthalmology which makes sense as you're looking in a slit lamp your entire life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Humans and animals with monocular vision use other visual cues to judge distance. Yes, it’s impaired, but you can definitely compensate enough for most ortho procedures.

There's obviously an adaptation period - if I close one eye and try to touch something requiring depth perception, it requires a lot of focus. You probably have to learn to use your set again with monocular vision. I wouldn't want to be those first patients.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
I think it could be somewhat difficult, even for medical student tasks (cutting suture that is near important structures, if they let you). But if there's a surgical field that may lend itself to this work (outside of hand and maybe spine, I'm unsure how delicate it can get), Ortho may be among the more doable.
 
There's obviously an adaptation period - if I close one eye and try to touch something requiring depth perception, it requires a lot of focus. You probably have to learn to use your set again with monocular vision. I wouldn't want to be those first patients.
I don't understand this statement; I as an experiment just put a patch on one of my eyes and I have no trouble with perception in surgical-depth activities. Just tried some hammering also (haha bones) and I am happy to report all of my (insured) fingers are intact.

I think it could be somewhat difficult, even for medical student tasks (cutting suture that is near important structures, if they let you). But if there's a surgical field that may lend itself to this work (outside of hand and maybe spine, I'm unsure how delicate it can get), Ortho may be among the more doable.
To clarify, when I posted above it isn't because ortho is somehow easier or less coordinated than other surgical fields, it's because A) i'm a pod and B) because that's what the OP asked about.

It's also important to remember that a great many surgical fields actually operate almost exclusively in a 2-D plane; I'm specifically thinking of the many image guided specialties, which are by and large on a flat screen. (e.g. laparascopic surgery, arthroscopic surgery, vascular surgery (fluoro suite), etc.).

Lastly... dude.. like how hard is cutting suture...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I don't understand this statement; I as an experiment just put a patch on one of my eyes and I have no trouble with perception in surgical-depth activities. Just tried some hammering also (haha bones) and I am happy to report all of my (insured) fingers are intact.

I'm impressed with your vision.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I don't understand this statement; I as an experiment just put a patch on one of my eyes and I have no trouble with perception in surgical-depth activities. Just tried some hammering also (haha bones) and I am happy to report all of my (insured) fingers are intact.


To clarify, when I posted above it isn't because ortho is somehow easier or less coordinated than other surgical fields, it's because A) i'm a pod and B) because that's what the OP asked about.

It's also important to remember that a great many surgical fields actually operate almost exclusively in a 2-D plane; I'm specifically thinking of the many image guided specialties, which are by and large on a flat screen. (e.g. laparascopic surgery, arthroscopic surgery, vascular surgery (fluoro suite), etc.).

Lastly... dude.. like how hard is cutting suture...
Obviously not difficult. But if OP was cutting a knot near delicate anastomoses, he'd want to be sure the scissors were where he thought they were. But the same issue applies to laparoscopy and with practice people obviously become very adept.
 
I agree with the others that you can be a physician. I have heart of some very 've residency programs testing vision but the issue for you is if they can tell that you are blind in one eye. That might lead to some bias against you because it raises the question as to whether or not you can fulfill the physical requirements of residency. I tried to find an online document version but when I applied I had to attest to my physical ability to perform all tasks.
 
This question has been on my mind since I became motivated to go into medicine. I have had a permanently detached retina in my left eye since birth, leaving me completely single-sighted. I do have 20-20 vision in my right eye, and feel I have adapted with this mono-vision quite well. I actually went on to become our varsity quarterback and point guard in high school (with proper eye protection, of course), so it hasn't been a deterrent for me this far. However, I am barred from entering any sort of military service because of it. I was wondering, will this also hurt my chances of becoming a surgeon? Orthopedic surgery is an interest of mine, however I am trying my best to avoid narrowing my scope too early and would like to explore other areas, both surgically and non-surgical. I would really appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you in advance!

As with any medical school student, if you can only see yourself in surgery, then don't go to medical school. As an above ADCOM said, if you can't see yourself in primary care, then don't go to medical school. Hopefully you can be a surgeon in some way. Best of luck.
 
Anecdotal information for an N=1. I have a friend who's an orthopedic surgeon, with a fellowship in hand surgery. He did a lot of work with reconstructing infants born with hand anomalies. He lost one eye through an accident ten years into his career. He was not able to do microsurgery anymore, and reverted to his base training in general orthopedics and does just fine with that.
 
Hi, I saw your thread when googling surgeons with monocular vision. My boyfriend recently experienced eye trauma that will likely result in monocular vision. He’s currently in general surgery residency and wanted to pursue a fellowship in plastics. The glaucoma specialist encouraged him to think about switching out of surgery. I wanted to reach out to get more information about your friend who experienced something similar during his career.
 
This question has been on my mind since I became motivated to go into medicine. I have had a permanently detached retina in my left eye since birth, leaving me completely single-sighted. I do have 20-20 vision in my right eye, and feel I have adapted with this mono-vision quite well. I actually went on to become our varsity quarterback and point guard in high school (with proper eye protection, of course), so it hasn't been a deterrent for me this far. However, I am barred from entering any sort of military service because of it. I was wondering, will this also hurt my chances of becoming a surgeon? Orthopedic surgery is an interest of mine, however I am trying my best to avoid narrowing my scope too early and would like to explore other areas, both surgically and non-surgical. I would really appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you in advance!
Hi - I’m wondering what you decided to do with your career.
 
Hi, I saw your thread when googling surgeons with monocular vision. My boyfriend recently experienced eye trauma that will likely result in monocular vision. He’s currently in general surgery residency and wanted to pursue a fellowship in plastics. The glaucoma specialist encouraged him to think about switching out of surgery. I wanted to reach out to get more information about your friend who experienced something similar during his career.
Plastics would likely be one of the tougher fellowships for him simply because of the micro work. I know in ent residents have had to leave their program because they couldn’t operate under the scope and that eliminates ears and much of laryngeal surgery.
 
Plastics would likely be one of the tougher fellowships for him simply because of the micro work. I know in ent residents have had to leave their program because they couldn’t operate under the scope and that eliminates ears and much of laryngeal surgery.
This is very helpful information! Thank you so much for your input. He wants to do breasts and doesn’t want to do microsurgery. Do you think this will still be tough/impossible?
 
This is very helpful information! Thank you so much for your input. He wants to do breasts and doesn’t want to do microsurgery. Do you think this will still be tough/impossible?

As someone working in breast surgical oncology/recon I will tell you that there's a TON of microsurgery in this specialty. Most autologous reconstructions, which are becoming the standard of care as we shift away from implant-based recon, uses microvascular surgery extensively. Look up DIEP flap reconstruction procedure for more info to see if this would be inhibited with vision impairment
 
Top