Flickering light in eye after Cataract surgery
Posted , 58 users are following.
Hi all
I'm recovering from cataract Implant surgery in my left eye, It''s been nearly a month since my surgery, I've found in the early morning that the light in the partial darkness of the bedroom is not an issue with my eye, but as some of you have already talked about bright light then I have to agree with you all.
In bright light I to have this flickering which comes from the left side of my periferal vision and then spreads from left to right and yes its very annoying, as I type this comment I'm having to shield the light with my left hand against the side of my face to somewhat stop the side dazzle it doesnt however stop the flicker when I move my eye left to right, when I'm looking straight forward I dont get the flicker.
I had a cataract operation and Implant in my right eye done about 7 years ago and cannot recollect having these flickering problems then ? my optician said its possible that the light reflection is coming from the implanted lens and radiating around, she said my eye needs time to settle. I hope as others have said that time is a great healer and that it eventually disappears on its own, as it is driving me nuts at present, perhaps using sunglasses with a side cover on might help me, well its something I'm going to try.
5 likes, 155 replies
twoellis Guest
Edited
Re: flickering. I had cataract surgery in both eyes early this year. Afterwards, the flickering nearly drove me crazy, especially when at 2 different retailers that I frequent. The flickering was the result of my iris twitching or quivering...visible by simply looking into my makeup mirror. It made it impossible to read or do any vision-intensive act for more than a few minutes.
But I have great news! I just had YAG laser treatment done to both eyes to remove the cloudiness that often occurs after surgery. It's only been a few days, but the flickering is gone.
cuz4concern twoellis
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trudy05943 twoellis
Posted
really? im excited to hear this! so you had flickering (almost juddering sensation) when reading and your iris wobbling?
cuz4concern Guest
Edited
jack54893 Guest
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cuz4concern Guest
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my left eye has went to hell ! my vision is 20/40 now I will need a note to renew my drivers license.
And if thet is not the worseI have ND!!!
The eye, the brain and the calendar. Depending on the lens and the patient, neuroadaptation may happen sooner, later or not at all. The majority of patients will adapt to multifocal IOLs within six to 12 months, according to Dr. Maloney. But about 10 percent of patients never will adapt. "There are times when a patient who is having serious vision problems during the six to 12-month postop period will say, ‘I’m not willing to endure this any longer, I want these lenses removed
ITS THE BRAIN BLAME GAME
Rene_T Guest
Posted
Wow, I am so thankful to have found this site and this thread. I have been having sooo many problems with my Cataract Lens Implant surgery.
After reading this thread, I feel so much better, knowing that there are others that are having some of the same problems as me. Not that I want anyone to experience this for sure, it's been a nightmare to me.
It's been six (6) weeks since my right eye surgery and five (5) weeks for my left eye. I've had weird spots and flickers but they didn't appear until about a little more than a week after my surgery. At first I had blue spots, they kind of jump around. Then it turned into a small white flicker, then the flicker went away and it's back to a small round blue flickering spot. Has anyone had colored (or blue) spots? My right eye has a moon shaped black rim in my peripheral vision and the surgeon basically said he believes that I'm seeing the lens....wow, so I'm supposed to live with this? My left eye has a purplish-blue spot that is there all the time and he said it looked like blood behind my Iris and it should dissipate....it hasn't.
Before I had my surgery, I hadn't driven for over a year in the night. The headlights were so big I couldn't bear it. Now after my surgery, the headlights are even bigger. The headlights or for that matter ANY light has these rings around them ring around ring around ring and then rays of light around the rim. The lights are so big they are worse than before my surgery. Even a porch light or a street light looks the same way. I cannot even go into the Casino (my hobby) without dark sunglasses on. The lights on the machines are just so expanded, it's hard to even explain. Any sized light of any time turns so immense, I can hardly stand looking at them. I walk around with sun glasses all the time.
I've seen a lot of posts about the flickering white light but has anyone had blue spots or anything of that type?
I'm so beside myself all I can do is pray about it.....and believe me I have done a lot of that. I will throw out some prayers for all of you as well because looks like we need it. Thank you ALL for sharing your stories, at least we know that it's not us being crazy!
cuz4concern Rene_T
Posted
Google ND Negative dyphotopsia.
flickers, floaters , dry eye and so on I have a toltal of 13 drops a day to put in both eyes nothing helps.... we are share this sorry to hear
some go away. but some never do.
cuz4concern
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Rene_T cuz4concern
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hilary76993 Guest
Posted
I had cataract surgery for my left eye April 2017 (UK NHS) and was disturbed by a strobe effect & flashing lights, like a sparkler being held top left hand side. A doctor at a follow-up appointment said it was because that eye was very short-sighted and my brain would accommodate to it. Two months later the flashing is much less and there is no strobe effect. My right eye was operated on two days ago, and before the surgery I mentioned the flashing lights to the surgeon. He said it was due to the "legs" on the Hoya lens. (I had no idea what type of lens had been fitted, and it was not discussed prior to the first operation - apart from whether I wanted distance or near vision). He said he could fit a lens which didn't cause flashes of light, but I would see things in a slightly different colour. Given that I was to have surgery within minutes, I opted to have the same Hoya lens as I didn't want to have a mis-match in the way my eyes saw colours. I understand a lot of lenses have a yellow tinge, so maybe that was the only option. Now, two days after surgery, I am getting flashes with my right eye as well, but they are not as bad as that experienced with the left eye. Maybe it is because the right eye was less short-sighted than the left. I am hoping in time it will ameliorate. I have seen that some lenses are rectangular in shape with four "legs" sticking out at each cornerrather like a whelk-egg case. It seems an odd shape to put a rectangular lense in a spherical eye. Other lenses seem to be round with a couple of squiggley bits sticking out either side. I do think these issues (flashing lights/colour etc.) should be discussed before surgery, but our local NHS eye dept. is always "packed out" and working at full capacity, and I guess there just isn't time. Overall I am pleased with the surgery, and it's lovely not to have to wear spectacles for the first time in 58 years, and the vision is "ice-white", which I think I prefer to the alternative of a "yellow tinge".
jiffyy hilary76993
Posted
Hi Hilary,
How interesting, really interesting. My experiences have something in common with yours. I had flicker lights and a line after the first cataract op - this was with a toric long distance lens to adjust for astigmatism. The explanation I was given by the consultant is that this happens for some patients (5%? 10%), and again - as for you - I was told it would settle down. The reason for the flickering lights / line at the edge is that with some people the light catches the rim of the edge, possibly because the lens is not quite as tightly held in place - and that over time as the eye heals this will tighten up and the light may not catch quite as before - ie when scar tissue forms in that space (if I understood him right).
Sometimes this can be avoided by using the laser machines that are now available rather than the op being done by hand. He subsequently told me that between the laser machines and a good surgeon there isn't much difference.
The flickering lights have lessened from the first op but there is a line still there which my left eye has not adjusted for. There are periods now when I don't notice it for hours at a go. I also have a feeling that my peripheral vision is slightly more limited than before. I had that op in early December 2016.
But as for the explanation you have been given, I have never heard of lenses with legs.... What on earth does this mean? It sounds bizarre.
As with your experience, when the surgeon popped in to see me moments before the op for my next (right) eye, he then informed me, 'This time it's an ordinary lens, not a toric lens, because the margin of astigmatism is tight and so this is the lens you will be having....' I was dumbfounded. The man has had this information for five months, I have seen him several times during this time (because of other complications from the right eye op), and at no time did he ever suggest anything other than the toric lenses which he originally said would long term work better for me - he had all the information available to have made that decision throughout this period. I was not happy to hear it last minute.
Again, after the second op, (as with you), I had flickering lights again and the line at the periphery (this time slightly curved, not straight). Before the op I had asked if this would be more likely to happen when my right eye was done, and he had said, Yes, in these circs, there was a greater possibility of it happening again.
I had that second op done just under six weeks ago. Immediately afterward, the colours were much brighter than for my left eye (now four months after that first op). White colour was extraordinarily vivid by comparison with it, but over these last weeks since, this has gone to less bright than my left eye, slightly coffee coloured - Right after the opp, immediately, it was slightly muzzy/fuzzy and this has not altered.
I reported that the vision wasn't sparkling clear as for my left eye at the post-op appointment a fortnight later. Was told to keep putting the drops in for an extra two weeks and to come back in two months time. I didn't enquire why at the time, but for various reasons needed to know the reason later on. I was copied in on his letter which then revealed that I had inflammation - uveitis 1:2 - and this was the explanation as to why he needed to see me again - .
I have some knowledge of uveitis from research / reading, etc - and went online to find out more about it in relation to cataract ops - it is an uncommon complication, and one of the symptoms is slightly furry vision after the op.
My sight even with all this is far better than before the cataract ops - I can see now that I was living with the fantasy that my sight would return to being as wonderfully brilliantly utterly perfect as it has been most of my life - unbelievably good sight always - but hey! this is a fantasy which has had to bite the dust pdq. That said, I am so so happy that I can see well now, don't have double vision, can see much better in the dark, can read a lot without glasses (not everything), colours much brighter. It's good to have all this.
hilary76993 jiffyy
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I'm amazed at the speed of your reply. From your reply, it seems to confirm the surgeons keep a lot of information back from their patients both prior and after the operations. I have only looked quickly at cataract lens manufacturer websites, but there are some peculiar-shaped lenses. I had assumed they were the same shape as contact lenses. (My mother says she can see hers and thinks they have slipped downwards. Maybe that is why they are not like contact lenses and have "legs"/protrusions to anchor them in position. That's me just "thinking aloud".) I wondered, with the flashing lights/strobe with the first eye, whether it was light refracting on rough scar tissue at the side of the eye. The strobe bit, seemed to pulsate in rhythm with my pulse - pulse in/near the eye? I don't know whether my surgery was done "by hand" or with a laser. They don't tell you much. Certainly the first eye was done by a different surgeon and felt "gritty" for a few days after (had fentanyl "morphine"? patch on op day), whereas, with the right eye, apart from pain on the day of the op (no painkillers) it's been trouble-free. I'm astigmatic but wasn't offered toric lenses, which I think are only available privately in the UK. However, these "ordinary" lenses seem ok in that respect. I wonder how your vision is balances with one toric lens and one ordinary lens? Hope all goes well with your sight in the future.
jiffyy hilary76993
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As it happened, I was at my computer when the message came in that someone had made a posting about flashing lights - and that's how I came to respond so quickoy . Entire chance! - Again, this is really interesting what you've said - I really hadn't realised there were these other weird lenses out there - Extraordinary how inventive the human race can be. Also, about the light pulsation being in rhythm with your own pulse. Fortunately I didn't have any much pain with either eye although there has been a bit of grittiness - I think this could be dryness in the eye/s as this can happen but goes after several months too.
As to how the toric lens and ordinary lens function together for vision - well, this is really quite curious. The toric lens gives me incredibly clear vision (20/20+ apparently), but is slightly more long distance vision. The other oridnary lens is slightly blurry (?uveitis?- ?some other reason? - just not as good, and also less bright), but is also slightly nearer vision. The upshot of this mix of distance and slightly closer lenses together means that I do actually see rather better overall for joining of focal lengths so to speak - they act harmoniously and I have the benefit (it seems to me) of both. Longer term apparently the toric lenses mean that less adjustment is needed for astigmatism. How this is going to work out I don't know because it's early days rather than years from the op. Thank you so very much for your kind wishes - and I also send mine and hoping that all will be well for you too.
evelinakallu hilary76993
Posted
Hi. Are you happy with the hoya? is it hoya vivinex that you have got
?
do you still see flickering? can you tell any reflection in your eye (cat eye/diamond eye) with the hoya?