Arc of Light in Dark Room
Posted , 8 users are following.
I am a 68 year old male who had cataract surgery in December. I now have an monofocal IOL set for distance in my right eye. My vision in this eye is now 20/20. I am very happy with the results. I will have the other eye done at some future date when my other cataract gets worse.
Last night I noticed a bright arc of light in the eye that had the new IOL. When I move my eye to the left and then to the right I can see the arc of bright light on the outer edge of my eye. I can also see it, if I just turn my head while staring straight ahead.
The arc of light is visible only in a dark room or when I close my eyes. Otherwise, I do not notice it. It does not affect my vision.
I have had floaters for many years. However, I have not ever had an arc of light such as this. I first noticed it last night. It would be appreciated if someone could offer their opinion on what it might be and would welcome all comments or suggestions.
Thank You,
Greg
0 likes, 25 replies
Sparky21 greg98553
Posted
i get that as well. dark room with the TV on is when it happens sometimes, though not all the time.. if i look down or to the left i can see an arc, white in color, thin,almost flickering, but not much. mine doesnt happen with my eyes closed though. only when opened. my doctor said it was just the edge of the lens. he was not worried because the lens was centered. he said it should get better over time as the brain adjusts and the lens heals more and i guess attaches to the bag. i can live with it. it isnt bad. but the most important thing is that it isnt a sign of a complication. Did your doc say why it was happening and why it will go away? just curious if the explanation was similar to my doc's explanation.
greg98553 Sparky21
Posted
My optometrist did not actually tell me the cause. He just said that if the light or floaters get worse to let him know. He is the one who referred me to the ophthalmologist who did my cataract surgery. If it were serious, I think he would have me go see him.
He did not tell me what he thought caused it. But, his assistant who gave me the eye drops for dilation thought that it could be because the IOL had shifted and what I might be seeing is the edge of the lens.
Yes, the light makes its appearance in a dark room when my eyes are open or closed. It is in my right eye. I can be watching TV in the evening and when it starts getting dark outside, I will then notice it. If it look to the right, it is a solid thin line. If I look to the left, it is a broken thin white line.
Also, I have a new floater that takes the form of a translucent blob. It is different from my other floaters because this one is much larger and is not black. It is rather clear and opaque.
The good news is that it is not getting worse and does not in any way affect my vision.
I
Sparky21 greg98553
Posted
I sometimes cannot see mine. like if i try to in a dark room with the TV on, i might not be able to see it. But it returns when i am not looking for it. it isnt bad. My opthamologist said it was just the sides of the lens and wasnt concerned. i am hesitant about the opinions of optometrists these days. when i first started having symptoms, i asked my optometrist if it could be cataracts and she said in a very definite way that it wasnt cataracts and referred me to a retina specialist. how could,she miss that? granted she didnt dialate, but my opthalmologist said he was surprised she couldt see it even without dialation. mine were fast forming. so, maybe it just wasnt that bad at first.
jeff72055 greg98553
Posted
This may be due to Negative dysphotopsia, described as an arc-shaped shadow, usually in the temporal field of vision, is a rare condition that can present after in-the-bag posterior chamber IOL implantation. I just had cataract surgery and I started noticing this issue as soon as the dilation medication wore off. It appears in about 15% of patients that have cataract surgery and for all but about 3% of patients it goes away on it's own. I'm going to wait a few weeks to see if mine goes away. If not I'll have to talk to my surgeon to discuss options.
Sue.An2 jeff72055
Posted
Jeff2055 - I suspect that percentage will rise. Younger patients' pupils dilate more and often beyond the IOL which is 6mm. With clear lens exchange (basically cataract surgery minus cataracts) on the increase and very much promoted by surgeons to correct presbyopia more people eill experience seeing the iol edge.
jeff72055 Sue.An2
Posted
Did you experience this issue Sue. I'm 5 days out from my surgery and I'm still seeing the shadow. I'm hoping it goes away on its own.
Sue.An2 jeff72055
Posted
Very thankful I did not experience seeing the IOL edge. At 53 was worried I might but I think I may have smaller eyes to begin with..
There is a lot of healing going on first 6 weeks and everyone is different when it comes to swelling and reaction to the drops. Just follow all the instructions. I wouldn't be too concerned at this point.
Even after 6 weeks your brain is adapting to the new vision and will tine out some things in time. Night driving for 6 months if not more wasn't easy for me. But things got better -doc said those will continue to get better even 2 years after surgeries.
As ling as power calculation is on and not much astigmatism I think you'll be ok.
As for seeing the edge - since all IOLs are 6mm there isn't really another lens option. There are drops you can take yo constrict pupils temporarily but that isn't something to think about for now. Let's hope things get better for you.
pat80248 jeff72055
Posted
HI , I have been following as I wait and hope for change in mine. Two weeks yesterday and counting. The "line, wall, liquid edge, whatever " it is, is still with me with no sign of diminishing. My reading is bothered with floaters and general visual "noise" and it all disappears in the dark or with eyes closed, and my distance eye (right) is perfect if I close the left.
I will learn to live with it if I must, but hate to think I am ignoring something that can be fixed or may get worse. These conversations are the best clues I have so far. Will see the surgeon in a week but am scheduled to fly away for four and a half months three days later and am less than confident I am doing all I can . THANKS. Pat
Sue.An2 pat80248
Posted
Pat was there no follow up schedule? Usually there is one at 6 weeks with the surgeon with full exam (eye dilated).
pat80248 Sue.An2
Posted
He knew I was leaving JUNE 1 . said generally do the check at a month , second surgery was 5/7 . I was told 5/29 was close enough .