I am 50 years old and had my cataract surgery one year ago (toric lenses), since then I have been through some horrible stuff. I had Macular Edema in both eyes a short while after my cataract surgeries, but this seems to have cleared up according to my retinal scans and multiple examinations. Once my Macular Edema cleared up in both eyes I had the YAG laser to clear up my posterior capsular opacification. The next morning after my YAG laser, I woke up and I knew something was terrible wrong, In dim light (even indoors with fluorescent lighting), I could see a fuzzy halo around lights and starbursts too. At night time when I am driving, every light ranging from headlights to traffic lights....any light at night, I can see long stretched out spiky starbursts. The brighter the light (like those super bright headlights you see in newer cars), the longer and stretchy the starburst will be. Every once in a while the starburst will also have a rainbow effect to it that is inside the starburst itself. Note: I am seeing the starbursts with or without my glasses, so it wouldn't be residual astigmatism like my doctor thought it might be. I am also seeing bright oddly shaped circle lights every morning right now like when I had my macular edema, when I went to my doctor he did another retinal scan of my eyes but it showed no macular edema. My vitreous gel seems to be a mess also, I can live with floaters, but now it seems like the vitreous gel is clumping together or something, and when I look to the left and right or up and down I see like something hazy and sweeping going the opposite way that I am looking. I asked if my lenses got pitted or damaged or something during my YAG laser treatment but my doctor said no. My doctor had some "copy and paste" explanation for everything (like basically well...just live with it), so I went to see a second doctor (at my HMO hospital), and after her examination she basically said the same thing "well you're seeing 20/20 with glasses" along with her "copy and paste" explanations as well. Not happy with her responses, I asked politely to be referred to the retinal surgeon...she didn't like it that much, and after that her demeanor changed for the worse. So moving forward...I've been researching Dr. Google (doctors hate when I do this, lol), I was thinking that maybe they should widen the YAG treatment area more (maybe it will clear up the starbursts cause I have large pupils), and maybe I should get a vitrectomy (for my clumpy vitreous gel or whatever else it might be that is possibly pulling at my retina causing the circles of light in the morning right when I wake)? I see the retinal surgeon later this month, is there any suggestions you guys might give me that I might bring to the table when I see him? I feel like I am going blind or something. Thank you.
Unfortunately it happens to some patients. It is called a dysphotopsia. I had bilateral peripheral iridotomies over two years ago and I still have residual crescent of light that I can sometimes see. It is the worst when watching a movie on our big screen TV, when driving in sunlight without sunglasses or when looking directly towards a window that is too bright. I doubt mine will ever change as it has remained essentially the same since fall of 2016. I will say that there have been stretches of time that go by that I don't seem to notice it as much but then later will be bothered again. Sorry to hear that you are experiencing this.
Hi @mac2018, welcome. You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion about laser peripheral iridotomy, so that you can meet others who have had this procedure. Click VIEW & REPLY in the email notification to scroll through past messages. Have the ghost shadows since disappeared? How is your vision now?
Glad to read your positive experience with the laser procedure - it eased my nerves a bit! I am scheduled for laser on my secondary cataract later this month. It developed quite soon after cataract surgery, and have been a little nervous about having the laser treatment. Thank you lioness, I felt better after reading your post. Have been doing some research about how its done, and sounds quick, uncomplicated and simple - I will find out for myself for sure in a few weeks!
@cherriann your welcome nothing to worry about The Dr told me it wasn't unusual to get tags left been nd and they just are lasered of I went to lunch right afterwards.
Glad to read your positive experience with the laser procedure - it eased my nerves a bit! I am scheduled for laser on my secondary cataract later this month. It developed quite soon after cataract surgery, and have been a little nervous about having the laser treatment. Thank you lioness, I felt better after reading your post. Have been doing some research about how its done, and sounds quick, uncomplicated and simple - I will find out for myself for sure in a few weeks!
@jkres007 Your welcome and I feel you fear your right in not to rush into it . I never had laser except to clean up my eyes from cataract surgery . That was no problem but in your case I want it to be right .
@jkres007 I agree when a Dr cant take the time to explain to you and they are in such a hurry it does make you question them let me know when you have other opinions Good luck hopefully another Dr will have something better to say fingers crossed for you
Thank you! I am. I went for my normal annual exam on Dec 14th and saw a glaucoma specialist on Jan 2. He was so quick and just casually was like “yeah so we’ll schedule you for surgery.” I understand that they know what they’re looking at, but I’m thinking that they’re just so quick to say you need surgery. I’m not sure.
@jkres007 I agree when a Dr cant take the time to explain to you and they are in such a hurry it does make you question them let me know when you have other opinions Good luck hopefully another Dr will have something better to say fingers crossed for you
@wantingtoknow With everything on here saying about the MD,s its probably a good idea about eye Dr,s get a 2nd and 3rd opinion are eyes are so important to us . I would if this was me .
I agree with you! I’m 34 and I’m worried that a laser is going to impact my vision for the rest of my life. I’ve been reading so many forums online (like this one) that say that people are having huge visual issues due to the placement of the hole. Why aren’t more drs looking at this? It’s terrifying.
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I am 50 years old and had my cataract surgery one year ago (toric lenses), since then I have been through some horrible stuff. I had Macular Edema in both eyes a short while after my cataract surgeries, but this seems to have cleared up according to my retinal scans and multiple examinations. Once my Macular Edema cleared up in both eyes I had the YAG laser to clear up my posterior capsular opacification. The next morning after my YAG laser, I woke up and I knew something was terrible wrong, In dim light (even indoors with fluorescent lighting), I could see a fuzzy halo around lights and starbursts too. At night time when I am driving, every light ranging from headlights to traffic lights....any light at night, I can see long stretched out spiky starbursts. The brighter the light (like those super bright headlights you see in newer cars), the longer and stretchy the starburst will be. Every once in a while the starburst will also have a rainbow effect to it that is inside the starburst itself. Note: I am seeing the starbursts with or without my glasses, so it wouldn't be residual astigmatism like my doctor thought it might be. I am also seeing bright oddly shaped circle lights every morning right now like when I had my macular edema, when I went to my doctor he did another retinal scan of my eyes but it showed no macular edema. My vitreous gel seems to be a mess also, I can live with floaters, but now it seems like the vitreous gel is clumping together or something, and when I look to the left and right or up and down I see like something hazy and sweeping going the opposite way that I am looking. I asked if my lenses got pitted or damaged or something during my YAG laser treatment but my doctor said no. My doctor had some "copy and paste" explanation for everything (like basically well...just live with it), so I went to see a second doctor (at my HMO hospital), and after her examination she basically said the same thing "well you're seeing 20/20 with glasses" along with her "copy and paste" explanations as well. Not happy with her responses, I asked politely to be referred to the retinal surgeon...she didn't like it that much, and after that her demeanor changed for the worse. So moving forward...I've been researching Dr. Google (doctors hate when I do this, lol), I was thinking that maybe they should widen the YAG treatment area more (maybe it will clear up the starbursts cause I have large pupils), and maybe I should get a vitrectomy (for my clumpy vitreous gel or whatever else it might be that is possibly pulling at my retina causing the circles of light in the morning right when I wake)? I see the retinal surgeon later this month, is there any suggestions you guys might give me that I might bring to the table when I see him? I feel like I am going blind or something. Thank you.
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1 ReactionUnfortunately it happens to some patients. It is called a dysphotopsia. I had bilateral peripheral iridotomies over two years ago and I still have residual crescent of light that I can sometimes see. It is the worst when watching a movie on our big screen TV, when driving in sunlight without sunglasses or when looking directly towards a window that is too bright. I doubt mine will ever change as it has remained essentially the same since fall of 2016. I will say that there have been stretches of time that go by that I don't seem to notice it as much but then later will be bothered again. Sorry to hear that you are experiencing this.
Hi @mac2018, welcome. You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion about laser peripheral iridotomy, so that you can meet others who have had this procedure. Click VIEW & REPLY in the email notification to scroll through past messages. Have the ghost shadows since disappeared? How is your vision now?
After surgery I have been seeing halos or ghost shadows ,it has been over one month and we still don’t have a solution as per my Opthmalogy Dr.
@cherriann your welcome nothing to worry about The Dr told me it wasn't unusual to get tags left been nd and they just are lasered of I went to lunch right afterwards.
Glad to read your positive experience with the laser procedure - it eased my nerves a bit! I am scheduled for laser on my secondary cataract later this month. It developed quite soon after cataract surgery, and have been a little nervous about having the laser treatment. Thank you lioness, I felt better after reading your post. Have been doing some research about how its done, and sounds quick, uncomplicated and simple - I will find out for myself for sure in a few weeks!
@jkres007 Your welcome and I feel you fear your right in not to rush into it . I never had laser except to clean up my eyes from cataract surgery . That was no problem but in your case I want it to be right .
Thank you!!
@jkres007 I agree when a Dr cant take the time to explain to you and they are in such a hurry it does make you question them let me know when you have other opinions Good luck hopefully another Dr will have something better to say fingers crossed for you
I agree with you! I’m 34 and I’m worried that a laser is going to impact my vision for the rest of my life. I’ve been reading so many forums online (like this one) that say that people are having huge visual issues due to the placement of the hole. Why aren’t more drs looking at this? It’s terrifying.