Has my cataract surgery failed? questions for surgeon tomorrow?

Posted by pb50 @pb50, Apr 21 5:39pm

Hi. Im a 74yoF
I had cataract surgery 60 hours ago as I write. Local anesthesia at my request. Went fine. 3 hours post op i went to surgeon’s office and saw his PA. A tech did a mini acuity exam. I told her it was blurry but i could guess at letters based on shape. PA took ocular pressure which was high. Put drops in to lower and when he could tell is was going down, he gave me the drops and we left. At this point, no pain. I was taken home and used the last artificial tears vial and began to have a lot of pain. I pounded some ibuprofen and sent son for some Refresh drops. I am now hyper sensitive to light. I kept to the schedule for pressure and anti inflammatory drops.
I used to wear contact lens - for years. And it felt like a contact that had a folded edge. If you've worn them you know you can’t wait to take it out because it is very painful.
Saturday morning - 24 hrs after surgery I could hardly get my eye open to get refresh drops in. Vision is completely obscured with cloudiness in extreme. I can make out big shapes like furniture and big letters on 58” tv.
This morning it was much easier to open my eyes but vision was little better. At 6pm i have blurry and foggy but perhaps less so than this morning.

I know NOTHING about eye stuff other than glasses. I am far sighted in both eyes with some astigmatism for which I did not choose toric lens with the lens implant.

Im not sure what is happening. I called my surgeon when I was writhing in pain friday night and did not get a call in return. I called yesterday and he was literally on the golf course. Told me blurry and foggy is normal and no pain is good. Seems to me at this point that he schedules all surgeries on Friday morning so he can be largely unavailable until Monday
Oh - if it means anything to you, I have a card for my lens. Johnson&Johnson Model DIB00 Diopter +22OD

So is this normal? Eye 2 is scheduled May 3rd. I’m having a crisis in confidence.

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covidstinks2023 | @covidstinks2023 | Apr 22 7:49am

This is NOT normal. I had cataract surgery last year. Things were very bright and my eye was sensitive with very little pain. My eye felt scratchy. I faithfully used the prescription drops. I had the other eye done a month later. Instant replay of the first eye. The brightness in both eyes diminished over time. I wear sunglasses as cataract surgery does make you more sensitive to the sun.

Personally, I think they need to "redo" that eye. I question if the lens they inserted was damaged. I'm so sorry about this for you. Praying for you right now.

1995victoria | @1995victoria | Apr 22 10:44am

Seems like I had similar experience. HORRIBLE pain about 15 hours after surgery. I'm high myope My eye pressure doubled, Dr gave me drops to lower next day. I was supposed to have second eye done two weeks later, I canceled, I had visual distortions, couldn't read properly, dancing words in sentence, also dancing letters within words. It is now almost 3 months since I had first eye done, but I'm not going back to that Dr, I asked but he didn't tell me about the possible complications I had as a high myope with macular puckers. I need a doctor who can answer questions and communicate problems which might happen. I have J&J model DCB00 13mm diopter +15.50 6mm

elliott1953 | @elliott1953 | Apr 23 12:01pm

My understanding given all the research I've done is that 'blurry and foggy' can last for a few days but severe pain is something that needs to be attended to quickly by the surgeon.

I had my first eye done at the end of March and, while the blurry/foggy did not last long (48hrs), I still see a long straight light streaking at about a 45 degree angle when I look at certain bright lights, particularly when it's dark. I was told that this should dissipate over weeks/months (called positive dysphotopsia). However, as it has been a month, I am beginning to have my doubts as I believe from my research that it's probably a wrinkle in the capsule holding the lens and that it may not self-correct.

Nevertheless, I was so thrilled with the excellent sight I received from the cataract surgery in that eye - and thinking that the light streak would go away in time - I decided to go ahead with the surgery on the second eye last week.

I wish I had been told about this 'capsule wrinkle' issue prior to the second surgery because I probably would have deferred the surgery until this issue was resolved or the vision in the un-operated was so bad that I had no choice but to go through with surgery. eye.

My point is that I think it's best for you to wait until the issues you are having with your first eye are resolved (if you can wait) before doing the other eye.

I hope your vision recovers fully. All the best. Please update.

pb50 | @pb50 | Apr 23 12:55pm

Thanks for all the thoughtful and helpful responses. For the record. The severe pain i had 8 hours after surgery was largely resolved when i took ibuprofen and got my hands on a supply of artificial tears - so i think the new lens was just dry. But the sensitivity to light was present for quite a while.
OBlurriness remains -moreso in that right eye. Keep on mind I have astigmatism and so will need glasses after everything heals because i elected not to get Toric lens.

I see my regular eye doc 4 days before my second eye is scheduled. So I will have time to slow down the plan.

Again - thanks!