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Positive Dysphotopsia after Cataract Surgery
I’m 62 and had my left eye cataract done in December 2019 and still have significant peripheral light streaks and night glare and starbursts while driving (positive dysphotopsia). Makes me a little “white-knuckled” when night driving and is maddening overall. Local surgeons are not inclined to consider an IOL exchange and neither am I, at this point.
With that, has anyone:
- experienced dissipation of dysphotopsia symptoms as time passed?
- tried photochromic contacts or glasses and had success?
- other actions that helped you?
Thanks for any input!
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I agree with you. I too have Pos Dysphotopsia after day 1 of surgery, it's been one week now and still have them. I had high hopes that I would be just like everyone else that I talked to who stated their vision after surgery was fantastic, even my 85 year old Mom was raving about her vision post surgery. In terms of out comes, one post here was correct. If the average age of folks getting cataract surgery is in their 80s, they've likely gone quite a few years with poor vision and prob no longer drive at night. So for them, great acquity over rides the pesky side effects and they don't complain about it. It sounds to me like PD is something the opthalmology world does not care to address. Thanks for listening 🙂
I think I’ve seen the mean age is mid-60’s, but yes, I think too that there are plenty who have better acuity after surgery and don’t complain about the dysphotopsia.
In what I’ve read, I see high incidence of complaints for positive dysphotopsia in initial weeks after surgery but symptoms disssipate and disappear over time through “further healing and neuroadaptation.” Guess I’m cynical about that because neither of my eyes seem to have improved (left eye is 3.5 yrs and right eye is 2 mos post surgery). I may just be in a “deal with it” scenario on each OR may find some aid in special sunglasses, glasses, contacts or pharmaceuticals in future.
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2 ReactionsHi,
I just found this group. I had cataract and glaucoma surgery 1/23 &1/30/2023. The doctor used Alcon Vivity round edged lens. I have positive PD in both eyes. It awful.
These lenses are suppose to correct astigmatism +450, well they don’t. I had going into surgery +300 right eye, + 225 L. After surgery both eyes are + 1.25 and positive Dysphotopsia. I never had any exceptions of not where glasses but I did have an expectation to see.
I didn’t notice the PD because I had Hyphemas (blood) from the glaucoma surgery so with the blood film over my eyes which took 3 weeks to clear I couldn’t see the PD.
I am 9/8 weeks out and miserable. I have brown eyes. The doctor told me it was a perfect surgery. I call BS. He gave me a prescription for glasses and said we’d revisit this in 2 weeks. The glasses are a bandaid.
It gets the doctor out of either replacing the lenses or and overlap.
I’m hoping to get a second opinion.
From what I have been reading PD could be rotation or a miscalculation of the biometrics or an in correct marking of the cornea preoperatively.
I’m going to take this to the max. This could very well hinder my night driving. I am young and deserve better.
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3 ReactionsI'm also curious about the incidence of PD with the use of laser assist vs bladed surgery. I opted for laser, it probably has no bearing since it's thought to be the material and shape of the lens replacement, but I am curious. Saw my opthalmologist yesterday and he said no one knows why or how some people get PD, that they just do. At my one month post op visit we test for new eyeglass RX and he said that a new RX (if needed) may calm down the streaks. Needless to say I won't be doing my other eye any time soon.
So that is interesting and I'm sorry you are going through so much grief. I wondered about that - the measurement of the eye for the new lens prior to surgery. A part of me wonders if that has happened to me (a miss calculation). I also have Sjogrens, and I wonder if that comes into play with all this, there was never any discussion on it prior to surgery.
Yes, I have dry eye. My doctor knew it because I was on Restatis.. It does play into it. Almost every article I read referenced to be careful with patients who have dry eye.
I’m sorry I had both mine done so close together. Ask him YAG SURGERY and silicone piggyback.
Can you drive at night?
Probably because some of may be do to their miscalculations in biometrics or mark the eye pre-surgery. They hurry so much. One right after the other.
Yes, I would struggle, some, in an unfamiliar area, but can do ok in near-home drives. No “white knuckles” in a familiar nighttime scenario. Tunnels are still somewhat scary with the “strobe light” visuals I observe.