Red line along iris 2 days after cataract surgery

Posted , 4 users are following.

I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar reaction to artificial tears after cataract surgery. I noticed a slight blurriness and feeling that something was in my eye the day following my second cataract surgery. I continued with the topical antibiotic and steroid drops as directed and then decided to instill one drop of Systane Hydration PF artificial tears in my eye to get ahead of any dry eye symptoms. I used this product many times previously for the same purpose when my other eye healed. However, this caused immediate and sustained stinging unlike previous discomfort. Tylenol helps with the scratchy feeling ...

My main concern is a tiny red spot or line along the border of my iris at the same location as the feeling that something is in my eye. I sent a message with these details along with 3 photos of my eye to the on-call fellow who responded that it does not look concerning as the overall eye is white. He suggested using a different brand of artificial tears.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Edited

    Feeling like something is in your eye is normal and extremely common post-op… that's just the incision (or dry eye). As for a red spot I mean… the first person to ask would be your doctor of course (not me) but if your vision is still normal it's likely nothing to worry about.

    • Edited

      Thanks David. It does feel like an incision thing. How do people cope with problematic incisions?

      In my case it felt like the artificial tears made contact with compromised eye tissue. I worry that this might lead to an infection ... I always think the worst ...

    • Posted

      You're on the antibiotics too though so should be ok. And although maybe those over the counter drops may not agree with you I would not jump to the conclusion that there is a problem with the incision. Again the "something in your eye" feeling is almost universal I think, not unusual or a cause for concern. For me it took a few months after surgery for that feeling to completely go away.

    • Posted

      Thanks for your reassurance! I guess I was really lucky with my first eye as I had no discomfort to speak of 😃

      Did you also have slight blurriness with the something in your eye feeling?

  • Posted

    Relieva artificial tears made my eye sting and turn red. Eventually, that away. I then started using Systane Hydration artificial tears and never had that problem again. After 90 days, I always buy a new new bottle.

    • Posted

      That's so reassuring! Thanks so much for letting me know that you had the same experience! I've been thinking and thinking what could have caused that reaction. My plan to start the routine I used with my first eye: artificial tears a couple of hours before and after each pair of antibiotic and steroid drops. Fingers crossed ...

      Do you have any idea what may have triggered your reaction to Relieva artificial tears? Did you have the scratchy feeling too?

      I really like Systane Hydration too. I've used it again since then without the drama but still have that scratchy feeling.. Also ordered 3 different varieties of Refresh drops as recommended by the fellow. Thanks again Lynda!

    • Posted

      My Dr didn' t know what caused the reaction and I had been using them for the previous three months with no problem. I didn't have a scratchy feeling. My eye was just stinging and was quite red.

    • Posted

      My favourite is Systain Complete.

    • Posted

      Someone told me that she developed a severe allergic reaction to drops that she'd been using for years. She cautioned me to switch drops every now and then. It's too soon to say, but so far the Refresh Relieva PF I started this afternoon are working well.

    • Posted

      Thanks David! It's really helpful to hear what works for others.

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