Blurred vision after cataracts surgery

re: "sort of feel like"

Your comment is  ambiguous. If not clear if its referring to actually how the eye physically feels (like its generating tears,but that despite that its not wet), or if you are talking about your assessment of (=feelings on)  what  your vision is like (blurry like when you tear, but without the tears).

The lens is inside your eye, you literally can't feel it since there are no nerves inside there to feel it.  It also isn't clear if you are talking about actual tear production. When the eye is too dry and realizes it and then produces tears, those tears will just be restoring the eye to normal but not making it feel "wet or teary", but the vision fluctuate while  the level of  tear film changes, just as it would when its going from normal to too-wet when someone cries.

Dry eye is a reasonably common side effect of surgery (although statistics vary wildly on how commn it is exactly). Dry eye impacts your vision since variations in the depth of the tear film actually impact the lens power of your eye and how light passes through it. The drops afterwards can play a part (depending on whether you are still in that phase of post). One cause of it they think is the incisions cutting nerves that tell the brain the eye needs lubrication, though of course only to part of the eye. That can lead to varied symptoms, like the eye at times not feeling as dry as it actually is due to nerve being cut, or conversely not feeling as wet as it actually is once tears are generated.

Softwear. you seem to be very knowledgable about the eye. Hope you can help me. I had cateract surgery and lense replacement about 5 - 6 months ago. From the first day, I have had a whitish film or looks like I am looking through fog in both eyes. I have had yag laser in one eye but it didn't help. I have also had macular endema in one other eye and that has been treated. Colors are not as vivid as they were, guess that is from the foggy vision. Still going to the doctor but I don't believe he knows what to do about it. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, what was the cause of it or how long ( if ever ) did it take to get better. Depressed and any answer would be appreciated.

You mentioned in a different post that you had a YAG for PCO already which is the most common cause of vision described as cloudy after catarat surgery (so be sure to mention it whenever you talk about your situation).

You mention that colors are not as vivid as they were. Is that a comparison to before you got cataracts, or to your vision immediately before cataract surgery? Usually right after cataract surgery colors are more vivid, which is why I'm asking. Perhaps thats why you mention it, but I just wanted to get clear your comparison point.

If its a comparison point to before you had cataracts, one thing that comes to mind is that you have some eye problem unrelated to the cataract surgery itself. Sometimes before surgery the cloudiness from a cataract can mask other visual problems people don't realize they had since they (and their doctors) assume the whole problem is due to the cataract since that is the most likely answer. Then if their vision isn't great after cataract surgery, the most likely assumption is that its the result of the surgery, so they don't check enough for other factors.

I don't know if all of your followups have been with the same surgeon, I might suggest a 2nd opinion from another doctor if you hadn't gotten one, perhaps even a doctor whose practice is focused on diagnosing other eye issues and not on doing cataract surgery. 

Unfortunately with uncommon issues there is a good chance no one reading this site will have encountered it before, but I might suggest that to make it easier for anyone to notice your post that you start a new thread/page about your situation, ideally choosing as specific a title as possible related to your situation (or that its one puzzling doctors so perhaps the rare doctor or two skimming through the site occasionally might decide to take a look), rather than having it lost amidst other very different issues on a page full of messages.  Provide as much information as possible.

 Unfortunately there is a good chance I won't be able to suggest anything,  there are only certain eye issues I've read about in depth, e.g. even the common eye problem of macular degeneration I know little about.  I've researched certain issues in depth related to my needs, and out of curiosity read related information I ran into along the way and kept up to date, but I don't have a medical background.

Thanks for answering softwear. I use to paint landscapes and I could tell the colors about as good as anyone, but immediately after the surgury, I had trouble telling the diff. between dark green and black. Also, I have a light gray jacket and a light brown jacket and I have to take them to a pretty bright light to tell the diff. Another thing I didn't tell you, was that objects that are vertical appear wiggly. I know that that sounds like macular endema, but have been treated for that in one eye. Still going to the doctor and went to another for a second opinion and he couldn't find anything wrong, however that doctor was in the same group. The group is in Kingsport Tn. and is suppost to be about the best around. My doctor really has tried and he is a really nice guy but I am thinking after he does all he can do, if I'm not better, is going to an eye hospitol in Bristol Tn. Thanks again for responding.   David

In terms of colors, its odd that you should have more trouble telling them apart. Usually people see colors more vividly after surgery, even if they see them differently.  Its  not merely because of not having the cataract anymore, but also not having an aged natural lens. The  natural lens of someone a few decades old,  even  without a cataract,  lets in less blue light compared to a young natural lens, and people adapt to having less blue light. Most monofocal IOLs let in as much blue light as a young natural lens (many even let in some light in the UV range beyond what a young natural lens does). That can lead to   a shift in color vision even compared to what it was pre-cataract, back to what it was a few decades ago. However usually that wouldn't make colors harder to distinguish. 

There are some blue-blocking IOLs (I don't know if you know what model IOL you received) which provide blue light closer to the level of   an aged natural lens,  less than a young lens. I don't know if you might be extremely young for a cataract, e.g. 20s or something, and got a blue blocking lens, in which case you might be getting less blue light than you were.

Hi...I am actually have usher syndrome....notice it at the age of 12 or 13.....now I am 49 year old...and recently done cataract surgery on my right eye. ...and the result is not good....can't see anything...totally blured vision.....can you please advice....I am asking this because I am a usher syndrome patient

I had surgery on left eye April 12th. Follow up on 13th can see perfectly   left eye. Follow up 9 days later, April 21 left eye blurry, could not see near or far. Cancelled Surgery for April 26 on right eye. Saw doctor April 25 as concerned about left eye. This time am near sighted cannot see over 4 foot in front of me. Doctor said when both eyes are fixed, it will help correct it. I am getting second opinion May 3. Don't know if Laser would be better or old style cataract surgery would be better on right eye. Tough decision, any advice would be appreciated.