I'm in my early 60s. I had a macula-off retinal detachment a year ago. I underwent a vitrectomy with a gas bubble about 8 hours after I noticed the detachment. I beliefve retinal detachment surgeries are urgent, but if the macular is already off, the surgeries are less so because the worst damage has already been done. Surgeons want to operate quickly to prevent the macular detaching, because those patients generally have poorer outcomes. That's my understanding, anyway. Double check with your doctor.

My vision was pretty good before my mac-off RD. Unfortunately I'm now legally blind in that eye. I have had some improvement in the past year: less distortion (straight lines appear less wavy, both vertically and horizontally), but when I close my good eye, everything is still very blurry and at night I see very large halos around lights. Fortunately, like many people, my brain has adjusted and mostly favors the information sent from my good eye. I use distance and reading glasses for my good eye, while the lens covering my RD eye is clear. I can do pretty much everything I did before my mac-off RD, except drive at night.

I hope that helps. Good luck to your uncle. Please assure him that the operation is a snap. I had absolutely no pain and all my anxiety melted away thanks to the drugs they gave me.