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Positive Dysphotopsia after Cataract Surgery
Eye Conditions | Last Active: Sep 24 8:12am | Replies (169)Comment receiving replies
Hello, I had cataract surgery done on both my eyes in June 3 weeks apart. I am severely myopic and have astigmatism. I upgraded to the premium Alcon Acrysof IQ toric lens. The left eye was done first and seemed great. However, I walked around without any correction on the right eye for 3 weeks, so didn't drive or do much at night. Immediately after surgery on the right eye, I noticed some glare/halos/streaks (starbursts), mostly in the left eye and most debilitating at night. The streaks are visible around every light source, both inside and outside. They told me that I had scarring and that a YAG would resolve my issues. Unfortunately, the YAG amplified the issues in both eyes, and both are equally affected. The "experts" now say they have no idea what the issue is. I've been going back and forth with the them, but am about to get a 2nd opinion. I believe it's the IOL. I will need to weigh the pros and cons of a lens exchange, if feasible, against the possibility of making a bad situation worse. I too have been prescribed drops that don't help. I've tried numerous sunglasses. The issues are amplified at night vs daytime due to amount of available light. My nighttime driving is totally compromised which is the worst part of this whole ordeal. I absolutely regret doing the surgery.
I appreciate your input and feedback on what you have tried. It's hard to resign myself to potentially having to deal with the side effects of the surgery for the rest of my life. Very depressing and difficult to come to terms with.
Replies to "Hello, I had cataract surgery done on both my eyes in June 3 weeks apart. I..."
@dsgreen5 I am sorry about your light sensitivite eye troubles since having YAG surgery. How is your actual vision since cataract surgery and YAG? Were you able to achieve 20/20? Do you se see colors more clear and vibrant?
Hello, are you still having these same side effects? I had my cataract surgery at the end of 2021 and am having similar PD symptoms to what you describe. I have done a lot of research and have reached out to several specialists. If you are better that is great, please share what your current status is an how you resolved. If not and you would like to hear what I am trying let me know.
I also have Alcon Acysoft lens (not toric). I too regret this surgery. I cannot drive at night due to extreme streaks of light at the 3:00 and 6:00 position coming from the headlights. I see the same thing with ANY night time light source. Street lights are a nightmare to look at. I also have the same problem with inside light sources as well. Walking my dog at night near homes with outside lights, street lights (the worst!) is miserable.
I have strabismus and am left eye dependent which complicates my fear of loosing vision in that eye. So a lens replacement is something I too am afraid to even consider. It is very depressing to deal with this, as it will be a lifelong affliction.
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First, I am sorry if I am redundant relative to my previous posts.
I am certainly sorry for your surgery result. Is it fair to say that the left had the light streaks immediately after your surgery, but it wasn’t yet as noticeable since you weren’t driving at night yet? How do you think your right eye surgery turned out?
As a parallel to your initial months post surgery, here were mine: I noticed better distance vision immediately, but I “babied it” in the initial days/weeks and was avoiding night driving entirely. In the first 2 weeks post surgery, I got very concerned about large influx of floaters and had to run back to doctor to a retinal tear repaired. Over the next few months, I struggled with the streaks AND the substantial floaters AND a gradual worsening of acuity/onset of starbursts around light sources (that deterioration caused by quick growth of PCO). In Dec 2020, doctors proposed remedying my PCO (in my case with vitrector) during a vitrectomy and this MAY also cure get rid of my temporal light streaks. Sooo, I had vitrectomy and surgery on PCO that yielded big help on floaters and acuity BUT the positive dysphotopsia/temporal lights streaks. In last year, this condition is worse, is anything.
Treatment and exploration for treatment update:
- I have struggled to see road signs at night. Since I have very slight astigmatism (50), my optometrist gave me a toric contact lens that has helped me a little.
- My former company has a medical review/2nd opinion service that has begun compilation of my eye doctor/surgery records. It is They will develop a plan of best action and referral. Supposedly, they consult the “best of the best” in the country. I have found my search for specialists to be difficult, so I’m hopeful that they can guide me to someone who can help me 1.) with my left eye dysphotopsia and 2. with dysphotopsia avoidance of measures for my impending right cataract surgery. I will update!