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Eye issues after aortic surgery
I had thoracic aortic surgery June 1, 2023. Since then I have had a few Eye related issues that are concerning some I believe are ocular migraines and fit all the symptoms like silver ribbons on the sides of my vision or bright blind spots. These GI away within a few minutes.
But I have had Uncontrollable eye movements that only last a few seconds but scare me. This has happened about 4 times since my surgery.
I told my surgeon, cardiologist and my PCP and they act like this is new to them. But then I researched online and there is a lot of documentation of our issues after surgery.
Are my docs just not wanting to deal with my issues. Very frustrating.
Please let me know if anyone has had these problems and how you felt with it. I went back to work 3 months after surgery and have a very stressful job
In a Hospital Laboratory as a supervisor.
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Since my mitral valve replacement in 2020 I have occasionally had what looks like a shimmering gummy worm move from the left side of my vision to the right, and then it disappears. I have a slight headache during the episode, and then the headache goes away. I don’t know if it is the result of the OHS or a coincidence. No issues with uncontrollable eye movements.
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1 ReactionThank you for responding I get the shiny worm looking things on the sides at times. I also have
A very slight headache also. Have read a lot on Ocular migraines and that is one of the symptoms. Doesn’t last long maybe 20 min at the longest.
It’s the strange uncontrollable eye movements that concern me. Maybe it’s from being in the heart/ lung pump so long and my brain can’t
Reprogram. I am going to
My PCP office today.
Hopefully they will do a CT or MRI to rule out TIA’s. I think I could tolerate them and not panic.
I have never thought about eye problems being related. Can you suggest what terms or where you searched for information online.? I too have had episodes where I have more of a shiny star syndrome and I can see everything that everything is blurry enough I can’t read a single thing, it lasts maybe a minute. My aneurysm went from a 4.45 to a 4.7 in a little less than a year. Very grateful we found it due to a very aggressive approach by my primary care physician at an office visit with extremely high blood pressure.
Hello @texasdeb, you mentioned you were going to see your PCP and you were going to discuss your involuntary eye movements with them. Were you able to do that and have you learned anything new?
Yes I saw her last week. I am scheduled to have a MRI/MRA on Halloween
Not the best day 😂
She thought it would be a good move. I work in a hospital laboratory and I talked to our Pathologist
He said with my past vascular diseases it would be a good idea. 2 years ago I had 12 inches of my colon removed due to ischemic colitis now the
Aneurysm. I will post what they find. Hopefully nothing.
I have had eye issues after emergency surgery for my aorta dissection (3 repairs). I get flashing lights at the edge of both eyes. My cardiac MD and surgeon don’t seem concerned either. I went to an ophthalmologist says it’s dry eye and BP related. He suggested natural eye drops. That has seems to have lessened them. Possibly from trauma. 🤷♀️ Best wishes!
Thank you for replying
Seems like it’s more common then we know.
It’s very concerning when it happens. My uncontrollable eye movements are what really scare me. My MRI/MRA is Tuesday. If they don’t find anything I will just deal with it. It’s so comforting to hear from others with some of the same issues. 😌
I had aortic arch repair almost 4 years ago and I have the exact same thing!! About a year after my surgery it started- I get these episodes about 1 time a month with double vision and it feels like my eyes are moving or I can’t move them. Lasts only a few seconds sometimes a minute but always very brief and resolves on their own. I have the flashing ribbon on the edge of my peripheral vision at times also- last week it lasted about an hour. I have had mri- was essentially normal they said. My bp tends to stay lower side. My docs have no clue- recommend me going to see a neurologists just haven’t wanted to take that next step yet. But I am a little relieved to see it may not be me going crazy!!! And I never had anything like this prior to surgery, thank you all for sharing!!!
Jeane
You have no idea how relieved your post made me. Thank you so much for responding. It’s so difficult to explain to anyone how it feels. If my MRI/MRA is normal I will stop there. Just so frustrating how the docs just say they have never heard of that. We know our bodies and we know when something isn’t right. We have to be proactive. Hang in there. Hopefully these episodes will go away with time.
A little late to the party. But me too. Ocular migraines with halo sometimes two or three times a week, sometimes zero a week. And every three or four months my eye just sort of crosses and there’s double vision. Doesn’t last long—maybe 90 seconds or so. Guess misery loves company. Glad to see others are all in the same boat. My dissection and surgery was June 2022.