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Double vision immediately after cataract surgery

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james12445
james12445

I just had cataract surgery today 5 hours ago. I am experiencing double vision. The eyes are noticesbly not pointing in the same directiion. The eye that was operated on is pointed slightly higher than the non-operated eye. To me this means the brain is not compensating to align both eyes correctly. My image of the right eye (operated eye) is either above or below the image collected by the left eye depending on the position of my head. If I look down the right eye image is above the left eye. and opposite if I tilt my head back. Needless to say I am worried about this continuing. I have Operation follow up appointment tomorrow early. Has anyone else have this problem?

0 likes, 33 replies

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  • vm81
    vm81 james12445

    Posted

    I had cataract surgery 6 weeks ago in my right eye. Got Tecnis multifocal 2.75 D. While i am able to read 20/20, its blurry and a struggle to read. I was also seeing slight ghost images on subtitles on tv and other light source. I saw my opthalmologist 2 weeks ago and was reassured that iol is centered and its probably just multifocal iol and things wlll get back to normal in few months. Or there is remaining antistigmatiam which we will deal with in 3-4 months. All this made sense.

    However this past weekend i was walking when all of a sudden things didnt seem right as if brain was trying to process multiple image. Looked at a street sign and it wasnt just a shadow image but almost 2 images on top of each other. I blinked few times and put artificial tears and it calmed down. Though now the shadow image i get is much more significant and can see shadow around everything. I can even seeshadow around people on tthe street and worst yet shadow around my own finger. If i close my right eye, shadow goes away. Also eyes seem to be burning a little and feel heavy.

    Any ideas what could be causing this and what i could do. Why would things change so quickly like someone just turned the switch.

  • fancylady
    fancylady james12445

    Posted

    I HAD SURGERY MARCH9 AND ON MARCH 10 THEY TOOK THE PATCH OFF AND I HAD DOUBLE VISION. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD GO AWAY.  I TALKED TO MY SURGEON  THE NEXT DAY AND SHE TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.  MY RIGHT EYE WAS SO BLOOD SHOT LATER ON THEY TOLD ME A BLOOD VESSEL BURST AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED AND GIVE IT TIME IT WILL GO AWAY LIKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS.  NOW IT IS MAY AND WHEN I MOVE MY EYE TO THE RIGHT I STILL HAVE DOUBLE VISION IT IS NOT VOCUSED RIGHT.   I HAD MY LEFT EYE DONE IN FEBRUARY WITH NO PROBLEM BUT ALL I GOT WAS IT WILL GO AWAY.  MY REGULAR EYE DOCTOR SAID EVERYTHING IS PERFECT AND IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR IT TO HEEL.  SO NOW I AM GOING ON THURSDAY FOR A SECOND OPINION.  I AM SICK OF THIS MAYBE IT WILL GO AWAY BUT I THINK MY SURGEON SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT IT.   BUT SHE DIDN'T THESE ARE THE ONLY PAIR OF EYES I HAVE AND I WANT THEM TO BE GOOD  I DON'T WEAR GLASSES ANYMORE BUT I WANT THIS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF ASAP OR ELSE.   MMY EYE MUSCLES WERE STILL UNDER THE ANAETHETIC  BUT NOT THIS LONG.  I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED  TAKE CARE
    • vm81
      vm81 fancylady

      Posted

      My issues have gotten worse as weeks have gone by rather than get better. Double/ghost images are much worse, glares are worse, flickering has gotten worse over time. Driving me nuts
    • brizy
      brizy vm81

      Posted

      I had my surgery over a year ago, I also experience the double/ghosting images on any light source or even white or brightly coloured signs. Over time it became less bothersome (although it is still there). However the ghosting below images remains a problem and just will not relent. If I get a piece of card and bring it up slowly from the bottom of my eye until just below the centre of my eye, the double image vanishes and my vision becomes crystal clear.  I was told that the ghosting is just a side effect of Multifocal iols but this doesn't really explain why it is just the imaging below things that proves bothersome.  Bizarrely, I have even done headstands and the double imaging still remains at the bottom in relation to the position of my head. I would be interested to know if the double imaging you are experiencing goes away when doing the thing with the piece of card.
    • dennis10756
      dennis10756 brizy

      Posted

      Brizy, I just had my left eye Cataract Surgery done 4 days ago. I noticed the Ghost Image on my TV anytime text would appear on the screen.  My vision is blurred and just for the heck of it, I tried your "Card Trick". I WAS AMAZED with the results. I had the same results as you. The text ghost image would disappear. Then holding the card in place and just moving my head, the same result applied to whatever I was looking at. THAT tells me my current blurred vision is due to ghosting images not only on the text on the TV, but it's on my site in general.  My right eye is scheduled in early April, and as of this writing, IF these ghost images remain, I will Cancel. I know this is vary early for me, but I need to ask you this..... How long did it take for your eye to clear the Ghost Images??  THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR POST !!

  • fancylady
    fancylady james12445

    Posted

    ihad surgery in march and i still have double vision in the right eye not too much but enough the doctor told me that it would go awy but i need to give it time.  well when they took the patch off the next day by right eye was all blood shot i asked why and she says it because of the blood vessel  and the anesthesia well that wasencourasging so she said it would pass in a few days well everytime i asked her she would tellme another time so my primary care doctor recommended me a second opinion. i am going to have an mri real soon so he can see what is behind that eye hed id say it was much better than before i asked my own doctor was this surgery related and he said yes.  well i just hope it will get fixed i amnot going through this anymore but if it it surgery related and it will get fixed that doctor that preformed this is in teoubleas far as i am concerned 3monthan d that is what both doctors told me.  i had my left eye done in march no problem i can great with no glasses except every morning i do have double vision and sometimes at night then it goes away.  this should not have happened.
    • brizy
      brizy fancylady

      Posted

      3 months is not very long.  I know it's not easy but you have to try and ignore all the weird anomilies that you are experiencing.  It took over a year for my vision to stabalize and, inspite of my previous gripe about ghosting, I don't regret having the surgery done even for a moment. In the early days after surgery I was becoming almost obsessive about my vision, Also, like you, my eyes were unbelieveably bloodshot after surgery, although I was told this may happen and it cleared up no problem.  But trust me, give it time and your vision will get better.
    • lorraineb
      lorraineb brizy

      Posted

      I had surgery last Monday and Wednesday. Iam so glad to read your article brizy as I was feeling very overwelmed about it all. I had other symtoms than has been mentioned. Today I am feeling alot better reading some of these things. I could see close up really straight away that is just a miracle for me as I have had a very strong perscription in my glasses all my life. Now I can read without any glasses. Mid vision and long are a  bit distrort, but I think today is a bit better. I dont drive yet. Thanks brizy. xx

       

    • brizy
      brizy lorraineb

      Posted

      Glad I could help.  I know how disconcerting it can be.  The surgeons do assure you that you have to give it time and it will improve. However, until you speak to someone who has actually had the surgery, part of you has doubts. 

      Good luck and enjoy your ever improving eyesight.

  • valerie40501
    valerie40501 james12445

    Posted

    Hi James I just had surgery 2days ago the same thing is happening to me I can’t see did you ever get better 
    • sheryl71123
      sheryl71123 valerie40501

      Posted

      Hi Valerie40501,

      I literally had surgery 7 hours ago and am experiencing double vision. I am really concerned. Did you have a block for anesthesia? I'm hoping this is the reason.

    • Night-Hawk
      Night-Hawk sheryl71123

      Posted

      A lot of strange vision can happen the same day as surgery.  I had very blurry vision and strange jagged circles around lights even inside the rest of the day of cataract surgery I had almost 6 weeks ago. Some of that was because my eye stayed fully dilated until the next day, when it was a lot better.

      My advice is get a good night's sleep with the eye shield on and your vision may be better tomorrow, and even better in the days and weeks to come.

      My vision was a lot less blurry the next day but took a few weeks to get very good vision that I was hoping for.  Not everybody gets perfect vision quickly I discovered.  I learned to have to be patient for the healing process to happen, for some can takes weeks even months.

    • valerie40501
      valerie40501 sheryl71123

      Posted

       Hi Sheryl 171123 Thank you for responding I did have a block I’m not sure if that’s the reason or not but I’m actually seeing worse  it’s horrible I’m seeing double vision really bad the first surgery nothing happened at all it went good and now my second eye is seeing double vision also it hurts like a stabbing pain I don’t know what to do I go back to my doctor on Thursday I just hope there’s something I can do to fix this and I hope your seeing betterTo
    • valerie40501
      valerie40501 Night-Hawk

      Posted

       Hello and thank you for your reply my eye has gotten worse not better I have horrible double and even triple vision it’ll be a week tomorrow that I’ve had the surgery and I am just hoping things get better Can you see good out of your eye now?
    • Night-Hawk
      Night-Hawk valerie40501

      Posted

      Yes my right eye's vision improved to very good about 4 weeks after the surgery.  During the first few weeks, the vision varied a lot - a few days it was good but other days very blurry.  I think once I could stop the steroid, etc eyedrops after 4 weeks it helped the eye to stabilize and heal better now.

      Double vision might be a symptom of too much residual astigmatism. That may reduce after the eye heals more hopefully. Do you have any post-op checkups by the eye surgeon coming up soon to ask about the issues you are having?

    • valerie40501
      valerie40501 Night-Hawk

      Posted

       My eye doctor isn’t saying much at all which scares me even more I go see him again on  Thursday and he won’t talk to me or see me about this until then which leaves me more concerned I keep falling and my vision is horrible it’s getting worse not better I’m seeing double vision and if I look down I see Triple vision I’m just hoping there something that can do thank you for helping
    • Sue.An
      Sue.An valerie40501

      Posted

      Hi Valerie - so sorry to hear about your double/triple vision after cataract surgery.  As it’s not bee much time hopefuls this is due to healing still needing to happen and it will resolve itself with more time.  Must be frustrating to not get much response from your surgeon.

      Just a search I was doing online (if this doesn’t resolve on its own) and you might ask questions about to your surgeon at next visit is Diplopia as a Complication of Cataract Surgery

      (Diplopia in strabismus)

      Here is an extract but you can google this.   Apparently double vision can be induced by the surgery itself for a few reasons one of which is this:  again something you may inquire with your surgeon:

      The other 2 reasons are muscle injuries and needle placement.

      “Another one-third of cases in the study resulted from a loss of fusion in strabismus patients. According to Dr. Strominger, these patients can develop reverse ocular dominance when their formerly strabismic eye becomes the dominant one.

      “What happens is that your cataract is worse in your strabismic eye. So you take that cataract out and now all of a sudden that eye is your better seeing eye, and you’re starting to use that eye that was your nondominant eye now as your dominant eye, and you’re shifting your whole scotoma outside center,” he said.”

      Hoping it is nothing like this and in a couple of weeks everything will be normal and clear.  Just wanted to give you a few things to google so that you can have a few questions for your surgeon.  Hoping he’ll be willing to dialogue with you .

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