Bits of Cataract Remaining After Surgery
Posted , 5 users are following.
HI ALL
i had cataract surgery on my right eye about two weeks ago i see much clearer (20/15 vision now) but i was seeing a ton of specs in my vision on mu followup the next day my doctor told me there was a small tear that happened during surgery (i think he said on the retina but bot certain) that allowed some remnants to get into the eye fluid and it should dissolve in a few weeks to months. i returned yesterday for a follow up and he said the same thing . Theres been no improvement
This is a drawing i made approximating what i see. A few large remnants and dozens if not hundreds of small grains mostly in the upper field of vision
I'm not sure of his explanation and plan of (non) action for a few reasons i believe that the specs I'm seeing are on a fixed surface of my eye for two reasons first, if i stare at a fixed soot and move only my head the spots do not move at all if they were floating in liquid i would expect SOME movement second because they always remain the same location in relation to each other. So that a larger triangle shaped remnant and a smaller straight , stick shaped remnant are always the same distance from each other for the past two weeks id expect them to move over time if they were floaters in liquid
Even if they are floaters, I mistrust his plan of letting then dissolve on their own At first I asked how often this happens and he said maybe 1 in 1000 times. But when i asked him how often he sees them going away on their own he couldn't give me an answer He said patients disappear so they don't always check in so he can see the remnants are gone. I asked how he knew they might dissolve away and he said thats what the body does it reabsorbs things like this eventually it sounded like guesswork to me
he seemed more concerned that the tear wouldn't get worse or get infected. And of course I want to be sure that doesn't happen. But my goal is also to have clear vision and it concerns me that he seems so unconcerned and I feel like i've merely traded in one eye condition for another
sorry for the lengthy explanation but any insight (pun intended) would be appreciated
0 likes, 3 replies
saj46572 David24601
Posted
Hi David
This is unfortunately part of the package we are dealt with. Let us take everything into prespective; what is more serious.
BobDob David24601
Posted
Your drawing looks all black in my browser. If your doctor believes it's a retinal tear, he's right to be more concerned about that since a retinal tear can lead to a detached retina. A detached retina can lead to blindness if not treated fairly quickly.
Floaters can maintain their location in relation to one another; for instance, those that are slow to go away or don't go away will generally appear at the same spot in your vision. Your doctor is right in suggesting that you wait to see if they go away. They most likely all will, or if there are a few small ones remaining, your eye will learn to ignore them. If they don't go away, you can consider a vitrectomy, but you'll want to avoid that if you can as it's unpleasant and there complications are possible.
There are some speciality doctors who can dissolve floaters with a laser, but only those floaters that are not located close to the retina. It's a fairly expensive procedure though.
I had a lot of floaters after experiencing posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in one eye. The floaters went away in about a week's time except for a large circular one called a Weiss ring, which does not go away. My eye has adapted so that I usually don't notice it, but if I ever decide that it's too bothersome, I'll consider spending the $2000 or so to have the laser treatment.
mlcoopa David24601
Posted
David24601 ...
If your Dr said there was a retinal tear he should have sent you immediately to a retinal specialists. I suggest you make an appointment to be on the safe side. I had floaters in my left eye post cataract surgery and it took about 3-4 months for them to clear. They were more like racers as they whipped around my field of view. Very bothersome, had to wear dark glasses to reduce there visibility. Mine were few in number about 12 or so. about the size of a period or comma. Your picture was all black, nothing too see. But from your description I would definitely see a retinal specialists. Most floaters are remnants of the cateract that fall through a tear in the lens capsule and are too risky to retrieve because of possible damage to the retina. What you describe sounds like a retina issue that needs to be assessed ASAP. Hope this is of value to you. Good luck.