Blurry vision since cataract surgery

Posted , 11 users are following.

I had surgery on my left eye 3 weeks ago using the toric lens and have been amazed at the change in my vision. I had my right eye done 9 days ago and my vision is still blurry which is VERY discouraging. I have contacted my surgeon and was told to be patient because everyone heals at a different rate. Has anyone else had issues with blurriness that lasted this long?

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  • Posted

    It's possible that it can take longer than 9 days. I think it can take up to six weeks but usually by two weeks you should have a good idea. It's also possible that the toric lens could have shifted right after the surgery causing blurred vision. Most of this can be corrected by a laser tweak, but it's best to wait at least a few months.

    • Posted

      Thanks for your response. I am assuming everything is ok but will know more after seeing my doctor next week.

  • Posted

    I had cataract surgery in my right eye with a Tecnis toric IOL and my vision didn't stabilize until after a month or so, after the Rx eyedrops were reduced. Since then my vision has been stable around 20/25 uncorrected. But during the first few weeks after surgery I had days where the vision was very blurry like 20/100, it varied a lot in that time period.

    So some can experience a lot of blurriness in the first few weeks after surgery, though some get clear vision right away. So yes you need to patient for a month or so.

    • Posted

      Thanks for responding, hopefully everything will be ok and things will clear up soon

  • Posted

    Susan my wife had blurry vision for 6 days! We were going out of our mind so I know how you feel! It was her first eye OP too so we did not know what normal was!

    Each second felt like a year! Everyone who got operated on same day as my wife was seeing 100% sharp the very next day. It can take 2 weeks and sometimes more. I was mentally getting ready for 2 +week wait or worse but they suddenly on day 5-6 things changed.

    Is your vision blurry 100% of the time or does it get sharp for few seconds and then blurry again?

    Assuming everything else is ok with the eye. Did you have a one day post OP check? Was the IOL still centered and in position? Was cornea surface smooth without any erosion?

    How does your eye look visually? Any swelling in the eyelid? Redness in the white of your eye? Reaction to the steroid drops/gels?

    I hope you see sharp soon.

    • Posted

      W-H Im not being rude I hope but who is this mysterious Susan? 😃

    • Posted

      W-H Im not being rude I hope but who is this mysterious Susan? 😃

      The one who started this thread 😃

      Although I did forget to type her surname, 81379 lol

      *Susan my wife... *

      Oh! My reply does read as if she is my wife lol. Sorry.

  • Edited

    My eye seems to be blurry 100% of the time. My doctor has patients go to the office the same day as surgery, and everything checked out fine during the visit. My eye looks good, no swelling, bruising or infection. I can see everything, it just appears blurry. I can tell that things are much brighter, like they were after the surgery on my right eye. I know I probably shouldn't be comparing my left eye to my right one, but it is hard not to. I'm also wondering if things seem worse now because my first surgery went so well, or if maybe trying to make the eyes work together is a issue. I'm anxious to see some improvement and will probably feel better after seeing my doctor next week.

    • Posted

      It could be blurry for a number of reasons. Yes hard not to compare when first surgery went well. Toric lens can shift and that would cause the blurriness but it could also be the drops. Hopefully your surgeon has another follow up and will examine everything and be able to determine the cause.

    • Posted

      I am 99% sure it will be ok. 9 days is long but not completely abnormal.

      Yes be patient but surgeon should check the eye to be sure and rule out rotated or moved IOL.

      Sorry if I missed it but when did the surgeon last see you and when is he seeing you next?

    • Posted

      Thanks for responding, I'll be seeing my doctor again on Wednesday

    • Posted

      I was sent to my doctors office after leaving recovery and will see him again on Wednesday. I have talked with the office 3 times over the pass week and each time was told to be patient. I am trying to be patient and praying for clearer vision every day while anxiously awaiting my next appointment.

    • Posted

      So since the OP, now almost 10-11 days no doc has seen your eyes? Correct?

      Seeing the doc on the same day as the OP is kind of almost pointless I would think.

      We saw our surgeon 1 day after the OP. Then as my wife was seeing blurry the extremely busy surgeon made us come again twice fews days later. His patients 99.9% of the time see sharp the very next day.

      The office telling you to be patient (over the phone I assume) is bit unkind as they can't check your eyes over the phone.

      Hopefully your eye was just slow to recover this time and nothing else. Stay strong. 3 more days to go...

    • Posted

      You are correct, I haven't been seen by the surgeon since the day of my surgery. I am quite put out by the whole situation and feel it isn't very professional to dismiss my concerns, but I've made it this far and might as well wait to be seen on Wednesday. I'm not sure what steps will be taken to repair this issue, but I do plan on sharing how upset I've been regarding my aftercare. I think at this point I just need to be thankful that the first surgery has done so well , and remind myself that there will be a light at the end pf the tunnel, & hopefully that light will be crystal clear,, lol

    • Posted

      Susan very glad you have an appointment Wed. In Canada we I am we are only seen at 24 hours post op and then at 6 weeks but if there is an issue we can make an appointment sooner.

      In Wed hoping they do a thorough exam and you get some answers. I would suspect if it were the drops you'd have times where vision was good. If all is blurry with no tomes of good vision there must be a reason for that. But by a thorough exam the surgeon should be able to see why that is.

      Wishing you good luck and hoping you get answers

    • Posted

      Hopefully she has "just" some superficial cornea issue in the exact line of sight which some healing gels would fix in few days. Fingers crossed.

    • Posted

      I plan on calling in the morning to see if I can be seen, if not it will be Wednesday. I have a feeling that the lens is not positioned correctly, and I'm assuming that would require another surgery.

    • Posted

      Yes unfortunately it would require surgery. Toric lens I have read do tend to rotate - and that would be one reason your vision is blurry - but your surgeon should be able to determine that. If that is the reason you could opt for a laser procedure to correct vs another surgery or wear glasses to correct.

    • Posted

      Toric lens I have read do tend to rotate

      Sue, do you mean they tend to rotate more than non toric lenses due to their physical property, thickness etc?

      OR

      Do you just mean that the result of simple rotation on toric lens is more drastic as it is not aligned to the axis anymore whereas non toric IOL rotation won't make any difference.

      Yes unfortunately it would require surgery.

      Jeez so they kept her waiting all this time and then she might have to go through it all again! 😦

      Susan,

      Any positive change in your vision? If it did rotate I wonder why it happened? Too much movement or just one of those luck things? OR did surgeon not install correctly from the start?

    • Edited

      They level of blurriness has remained the same since surgery, which leads me to believe it has something to do with the lens placement. I think fixing the issue will require another surgery in which I am not looking forward to. I have been very cautious in regards to the aftercare instructions, and don't feel I have done anything to cause the issue.

    • Posted

      No don't think the possibility of rotating is higher with toric lenses. However toric lenses need perfect alignment to correct astigmatism. The lens can shift early hours after surgery and until healing / settling takes place in subsequent weeks. Even if lens gets rotated into position again - it can still shift again unfortunately. That is one reason people opt for laser treatment after settling to correct.

      But surgeon should do slit eye exam to determine. At this point it is just speculation. Hopefully Susan you can get your answers on Wed. Really think your surgeon should have seen you sooner.

    • Posted

      I feel I should have been seen earlier too but can't change what has already happened. I am going to call in the morning and see if they can work me in tomorrow and I will post a update

    • Posted

      The risk of toric IOL rotation is mainly an issue if you rub your eye, so I was told to avoid that! Another reason to use the clear plastic shield over the eye when sleeping for a couple weeks.

    • Posted

      I haven't rubbed my eye and have been sleeping with the shield on, in fact I was told to sleep with it on for 4 weeks. I'm sure this issue will be resolved and I'm looking forward to a resolution. I know that there are risk with every surgery and I'm thankful that my first one went so well. I usually try to look for the positive in every situation and my faith tells me it will all work out eventually. I do appreciate all the comments and encouragement I've received from all of you, it has helped make a difficult situation more bearable

    • Posted

      All will be good again. Even if it has to be be rotated back into place. Keep in mind that the riskiest part of the operation has already been done.

      Wishing you all the best.

    • Posted

      Thanks, I just called my doctor's office and have an appointment later today and will post a update afterwards

    • Posted

      Yes rubbing but according to a number of sources it can rotate even if you follow all instructions and wear plastic eye guard.

    • Posted

      I just returned home after spending the day having several test done on my eyes and meeting with two specialist. I was informed today that I have macular degeneration in both eyes which has caused the blurriness in my left eye, something that the doctor should have informed me of before surgery. I was told that scarring has already formed because of the AMD and the only option offered was lazer treatment to reduce the scarring and hopefully have some vision restored. The lazer treatment will be done on Wednesday by a different doctor and needless to say I'm not happy with today's outcome and I'm hoping for better results later this week.

    • Posted

      I am very sorry to hear that Susan. I hope that the laser treatment will help. My father has had macular degeneration for many years. He will be 88 this year and still sees quite well. He is also still driving.

    • Posted

      susan 81379

      very sorry to read that you have AMD. You must be extremely upset. Hope you get good results after laser treatment.

    • Posted

      I am upset but realize I can't change the diagnosis and my prayers are that the lazer treatment will restore some of my vision.

    • Posted

      I am so sorry to hear that! 😦

      Hopefully laser helps.

      Will it be cold laser therapy?

    • Posted

      It will be lasik and should take about 10 minutes. I was told if it helps i should see a difference when the dilation goes away which usually takes a couple of days for me because I have blue eyes. Part of me wants to cancel due to fear of additional damage, but I can't see anything out of my left eye so something has to be done. I am very thankful that my right eye is doing well and I'm praying for positive changes on the left.

    • Posted

      How dreadful - so sorry Susan. Yes this should have been caught and communicated before surgeries and all the more disappointing they waited this long after surgery to see you and do the testing.

      Hoping the laser procedure will help clear up the scaring. Is there any other treatment for AMD (did they say if it is dry or wet AMD you have)?

    • Posted

      I see. I thought they were targeting the Macula region with the laser. Looks like they are just reshaping your cornea. Interesting.

      Wish you all the best and positive improvement.

    • Posted

      I have dry AMD and there's nothing that can be done for it.

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