Unusual Shapes in eyes going from light into dark and dark into light.

Posted , 5 users are following.

I had a cataract in my right eye removed 5 weeks ago in a UK hospital. My vision in daylight is first class

I did have a slight problem a couple of days later which was apparently due to post operative inflammation which cleared up with an increase in drops.

After about a week I developed a real problem during dusk and darkness. No problem till I go to bed. As most elderly men I have to go to the toilet a couple of times at night. I go from the dark bedroom into the bathroom and switch the light on. Immediately I see in my affected eye a large, solid, black eye shape appear in my central vision. (this is not a floater). As my eyes accustomise to the light, the image disappears. When I return to the bedroom and switch off the bathroom light and return to darkness, the shape reappears but this time it is a whitish colour and again gradually disappears.

I have seen the surgeon (of 25 years of cataract removal) who did the operation who has no answer for it. He said that my eye is perfectly healthy and hopefully!!! might just go away.

I must not be the only person in the whole wide world who has experienced this.

Any comments would be appreciated.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    sounds like bright light is being reflected on your retina as a dark afterimage of sorts. then the reverse when you go into the dark room. think of an old photo negative when dark is white and white is dark. as for why not sure. maybe photo receptors in eye disturbed from the surgery? Are you still on drops?

  • Posted

    The only other thing I have read where similar symptoms occur other than what Hudsongrl mentioned is AMD (age-related macular degeneration).

    You might want to have macular checked by specialist however as your eyes are still likely getting post op drops and healing from surgery your symptoms could be brought on by brain adjusting to new vision.

  • Posted

    Thank you both for your prompt replies,

    yes i am still on drops but down to 2 a day, do you think it may be contributing to my problem?

    • Posted

      It's really hard to say if drops contribute or not. Have not seen comments on the forums with someone experiencing that. I would say of it continues after the drops ate done you may want to see another specialist just to rule things out.

    • Posted

      norman, my eyes were wonky all the while i was on drops. which ones are you on? i read in an article that rods and cones might be responding slower. i'm wondering if pupil might be responding slower too?. did you ever have this before the cataract surgery? if it keeps happening you can ask for a pretty simple test called an OCT which is a scan of the eye. you just look in a machine and it takes pictures that show retina, macula etc. it might be your eye just needs more time to heal too and this will resolve on its own.

  • Posted

    I have macular degeneration and did not have that problem, I would get a second opinion to make sure everything is OK, good luck I am sorry that is happening, the problems I had were not related to my macular degeneration. Hope you get better soon.

  • Posted

    I have Wet AMD in both eyes and just had cataract surgery in March and April. I too have this same problem. I never asked the RS but have had a couple of scans lately showing just a bit of swelling. I'm sure he would have mentioned if there was something else. After I finished my drops from the surgery I got an eye infection and have been on 2 different antibiotics. I need and injection but can't get one til this clears up. It is frustrating seeing these images. Hope it is drop related. Hope it goes away at some point. Wishing you well.

  • Posted

    Thank you ladies for your replies.

    I did see another specialist who says that my eye is healthy, so hopefully , I have not got AMD . The drops I was prescribed with were Maxidex and I have just finished using them, so I will keep you informed as to my progress.

    It may of course be my "brain" that is causing the problem, we will have to wait and see.

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