Blurred vision after cataracts surgery

The vast majority of patients get great results, but never post on the net about it. Since there are vast numbers of cataract surgeries each year, even a small percentage of people who get atypical results who then post to the net about the problem will lead to many posts. Those give a flawed impression of what typical results are like. 

A cataract clouds vision and prevents it from being corrected to 20/20 even with glasses/contacts or other correction. After the surgery vision is  usually able to be corrected to 20/20 (unless their are other eye health issues), and in that case it is viewed as a success because it couldn't beforehand.

There are complications that arise even with the best surgeons, for instance the lens power being off. There is no exact formula for determining the IOL power they need, it is based on statistics comparing your eye measurements to prior patient's measurements and the lens power that would have worked well for them based on their results. For most people the results are good, especiallly those who had fairly good vision beforehand, but there is no guarantee. Errors in lens powers are more common among people that had strong prescriptions before their cataracts arose, perhaps because there is less data and their eyes vary in more ways.  If there is an error, it can be corrected with glasses/contacts, or via a lens exchange or by laser correction, or a 2nd piggyback lens.

There are also complications that can't yet be predicted beforehand by any surgeon,  like dysphotopsias, because medicine isn't yet perfect.

It is also possible that other eye health issues can play a part in having subpar results since many cataract patients have other issues and not just a cataract.

Eye 1 required replacement IOL to correct and to get this done entailed much conversation and persuasion on my part, the original ophthalmologist refusing to believe that my vision was so bad. In the end I lodged an official complaint and consulted lawyers, my own GP eventually referred me to Moorfields who sorted it in a trice.

Eye 2 the ophthalmologist again walked away despite being made aware of the issues I had previously encountered, indeed cancelled the first schedulled operation when I tried to confirm that they had the correct lens, turned out she had not even read my hospital notes, even my local garage consults the service history before working on my car.

During the reschedulled operation she ruined te first lens and had to use a backup which I was told was the same specification as the ruined one.

Results were exactly the same as after the very first lens.

Having now gone for the best part of two years having quarterly refraction tests which have all revealed precisely nothing I am schedulled for an appointment on the first of March.

As for previous issues none whatsoever 20/20 both eyes annual eye tests for the last thirty or so years likewise.

The fact is that we the poor ever suffering patients/clients cannot access statistics for any ophthalmologist to assess there worth and until we can I and I assume others believe that there is an agenda to camoflage the truth. 

We are so lucky here in the UK as everything is free including my 3 cataract operations [ one to rectify problem caused during surgery]

and the laser i require later. However it is still so important to get a good surgeon. The lady who did my left eye was wonderful. Talked to me throughout the op. I have had no problems with this eye.

Unfortunately Dr BUMBLE , as i refer to him,[ not his real name] made a mess of my right eye and 3 months later i am still having problems

Hi I also have used one eye or the other my entire life.  And I recently started vision therapy and it's helping me in different ways. Since surgery 10-22-2016 my right non dominate eye only, has been blurry, contrast and colors are off, and different sizes and shapes in both eyes. I can't focus on anything. So I changed light spectrum bulbs in my house, wear sunglasses and a hat, (I never did before)  curtains closed, I don't do as much outside as I used to, I can't shop in stores very long the fluorescent lights mak me sick. 

But ive learned so much about stereo vision and bionicular vision and the manufacture of the IOLs have documented so many problems and still doing the same thing and not treating each patient differently. Because one lens does not fit all. 

I'm in Germany and I'd love to say the cataract operations are free, but nothing comes free as we pay for it in national health contributions from our wages, as, I presume people in Canada and the UK do also.

Anyway, I have just had both eyes operated on. Left eye 5 weeks ago and right eye one week ago. I was given a choice of the "standard lenses" which cost 61 euros, or the "premium lenses" which cost 700 euros. Due to financial constraints, I went standard, My vision in both eyes has improved (according to the charts in the surgery), however I am still going to need reading glasses. My right eye used to be clear for very long distances, but is now blurred. The eye specialist keeps trying to tell me how well I have read the numbers and letters, but truth is I struggle to read them as they are so blurred. She ignores me when I tell her this. Also at dusk the streetlights have haloes and everything at more than 10 metres is not clear. She just keeps telling me to be patient. Seems that the people that I have spoken to who went for the premium lenses are ecstatic. I guess you get what you pay for, but it is extremely frustrating not being able to make out the faces of people approaching you and losing that long distance clarity that I had in my right eye.

I don't know if you have a patch over the bad eye, but just prior to my cataract surgery the 1 eye with a problem cataract became difficult to tune out for some reason (prior to that my brain seemed to just tune out the blur and use the 20/20 eye) so I wore a patch when trying to read until I got in for surgery. It  made that a bit easier (though still not easy, which is a problem for a software developer. I gather people eventually adapt well to using only 1 eye, but it may take a while). 

The "grey veil" description doesn't sound like mere blur from a refractive error. I don't know whether you needed correction for distance before surgery, if so you'd be familiar with blur when not wearing it,   but at age 50 at a minimum you'd be familiar with blur at near from presbyopia  so it seems likely you'd be able to tell whether that is all that is going on.

It seems like they should have told you at prior postops what your best corrected vision was (which would indicate if its merely refractive error) and what the refraction was.  I hope for your sake it is just refractive error, which yes they can correct with contacts, glasses, or for more permanent options (after vision stabilizes) laser, a 2nd lens implant (phakic IOL or ICL its called) or even a lens exchange. 

re: "The doctors ruled out PCO as they typically have it on cataract patients after many months from surgery. "

That is typical, but some have it within days of surgery, e.g. google the phrase "This type of opacification can appear within days of cataract surgery. " and it should be the first hit at the Encyclopedia of Surgery (I'd provide a link, but those send posts to the moderator which is a waste of time). I've read other sources comment on diagnosing PCO within a week, and people post online about their surgeon diagnosing PCO within a week.

That said, it seems unlikely it could have appeared fast enough to cause issues as soon as the patch was removed (though I'm not positive if it could be that bad within hours, it seems unlikely)  so it seems like there is  something else going on. The reason I mention it is merely that their explanation for ruling it out sounds flawed (it isn't always months), which calls into question their expertise and whether perhaps you should consult a more experienced doctor if you don't get a good explanation from the next visit.

High volume doctors who have been practicing a few decades may have seen tens of thousands of cases and more often run into rare issues than those that don't peform as many surgeries. 

re: "With drops any inflamation in the macula area should have subsided"

Although that sounds plausible,   I suspect that not all steroids or NSAIDs are 100% effective on all patients, it may be that you need a different one for some reason. I didn't have that sort of complication so I didn't research it, I'd worry about whether some sort of infection was a possibility. They are vary rare, but they occur.

Cataract surgery on one eye left me "blurred" immediately.This eye was my "distance" eye and therefore i was unable to see as the other eye had been set for reading .At post- op appointment i told nurse i was unable to see clearly. Saw surgeon who had performed op.Basically lens was too far forward causing shortsightedness.I had a second op. by CONSULTANT [i assume therefore that the problem was caused by the original surgeon] Vision great for 6 days then disappeared again in blur.Went to  emergency eye clinic and now had Macular oedema and PCO. So the latter is possible shortlyafter surgery. Given different drops for MO , which seem to have worked and awaiting decision for laser treatment for PCO. Hope you have more success.I seem to have had one problem after another but there is light at the end of the long tunnel. Good luck!

Hi! I'm sorry to hear about your eyesight.

I am a 20 year okd female and I was born with congenital cataracts. I had my left eye operated on the 4th July and everything went pear shaped from then onwards, they took 1 and half hours to operate. I am now left with a big permanent stitch in my eye. Luckily my eyesight became perfect!

On the other hand my right eye was operated on three weeks today and I am very worried because it is so blurry. Operation went fine, took about 35/40 minutes. But I see glares from lights, the tv, my phone and everything is so out of focus and I feel like my eyesight was so much better before on this eye!

I am feeling sad because I was hoping to drive as my eyes were going to be fixed! But i am so disappointed and everything is goinh downhill for me.

My hospital appointment is tomorrow so fingers crossed there is a solution.

I like your input on cases, makes sense to me. I had cataract last year. One eye first, when they took off bandage, I was shocked. Too bright, one eye dull. Like seeing out of two different eyes, was scary. No one prepared me. I felt suicidal. I made it home and good thing I had an old pair of glasses with different prescription that seemed to balance things. I would have gone nuts. I had to see my regular eye doctor to write a letter to the surgeon to get my second eye done, took ten months but was much better, but wondered why they don't put the same lenses in each eye? guess you kind of explained it. Good thing both healed well but had to wait six more weeks to get proper prescription, now two years later much better. I advise everyone to get second eye done right away. I still have issues with darkness trying to see and bright store lights but guess it could be worse, your eyes will never be the same when young.