2 weeks post-op....very short loss of vision in one eye

[ruthienc1]

Hi! I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced what I did this morning. I was just sitting in the recliner and all of a sudden the vision in my right eye got very odd. I couldn't see anything in the top half of the vision field and the bottom was quite blurry. It lasted about 5 minutes. My follow-up with my cardio is on Tuesday and I will be sure to tell him. Any ideas????? Other than the usual fatigue and expected cough issues, recovery has been smooth, but this has me a little concerned.
Ruthie

 

[Ross]

I did that too recently, but haven't talked to my Doc yet. See him June 2nd.

 

[hensylee]

yes, others have had this. we'll hear from them soon.

 

[duncanjo]

ya, its normal for the first couple of weeks, blurry vision, bright white dots once awhile. No bright lights at the end of the tunnel LOL..

joe
mech valve apr04/08

 

[cp172]

For weeks I saw shooting bright red floaters.I also have visual migranes.All symptons disappeared around the 5th week post surgery. Best of luck to you.

 

[Jkm7]

I have had several sorts of visual disruptions and episodes since my surgery. They began in the hospital 2 days post op and were mostly of the occular migraine sort. I had never experienced anything of the sort previously; not even after my first OHS. They are mostly bright, zig zag type lights in one eye or the other. Never had it in both at the same time. They last about 20-22 minutes. Quite consistent like that.

While in the hospital, after verifying I was not having a stroke the first 3 or 4 times they occured, they made little of it and suggested I see my Opthamologist.

After coming home, I started getting moving/flashing small floater type lights in both eyes a number of times a day.

Finally saw opthamologist and, in my case, both are harmless and probably tirggered by the stress of the surgery but not necessarily. He said I could have had this anyway.
They are prone to come in clusters and may or may not come and go for years or not. He said my zig zag oval shaped occular disturbances are 'textbook occular migraine' without any headache. Treatment: None. Ignore and get used to.

I am now 3 months post op and mostly I now have just the bright light floaters but still sometimes the zig zag.

I heartily suggest you have anything of this sort checked with your eye doctor as there is always the possibility of retina detachment. Coincidentally, I had seen my opthamologist for routine check just weeks before my surgery so he had very recent records on me. He checked me VERY carefully for any sign of retina tear or detachment and I would suggest you may wish to have the same sort of check.

Good luck and please let us know what you learn. I'm very interested to hear.

Hope your recovery is going well in all other ways.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

MANY of us on VR.com have had 'visual disturbances' of some type following surgery.

The fact that yours cleared up in a few minutes suggests is was "probably" an Occular Migraine (see Google for more info). My Opthalmologist says that Occular Migraine's typically clear up in around 20 minutes or less and never? last over an hour.

A disturbance that does NOT clear up and is in ONE eye, may be a sign of a stroke or blood clot. For this reason, whenever I have ANY visual disturbance, I Chew an Aspirin (325 mg or sometimes half an asprirn since I take 81 mg daily). My Cardio commented that "this was probably a Good Idea".

IF you have a visual disturbance that does NOT clear up within an hour, it would be wise to go the ER ASAP. Ask *your* Cardiologist or PCP about chewing an Aspirin as a preventive measure.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Kathy McCain]

Yes I have experienced after surgery, that my eyeglasses did not correct my vision as well as before the surgery. It lasted, for I would say, at least a month.
My vision slowly began to improve. Someone told me (I can't remember who or where) that your body, including your eyes, retains water. I do not know if this is true, but I asked my eye dr., and he said he has heard of these complaints before. Apparently, it is not all that uncommon.

Good Luck, Kathy

 

[strudell]

For the first few days after my surgery, I saw creepy crawlers floating around my room. Looked like my room was infested with bugs. Outside my window, I'd see "birds" fly across the panes of glass, only to not appear in others.

A physician friend of mine who worked in the hospital said it was probably due to the morphine or anesthetic they gave me. He said it was common.

While this sounds a little bit different than your experience, it may still be a result of the surgery and drugs.

 

[tobagotwo]

Visual/Occular/Atypical migraines and their effects are quite common in people with valve issues, and I suspect in the general population as well.

Al Capshaw, as usual, gave some good advice. Note that he mentioned chewing the aspirin. This is because most aspirin is now enterically coated so that it won't dissolve in your stomach. In fact, it won't dissolve until it reaches your colon. If you were having a stroke, you certainly wouldn't want to wait that long for its efffects to kick in.

If you're on Coumadin, aspirin for such events is something you should discuss with your cardiologist now, so you can know what to do later, should the situation ever come up.

Best wishes,

 

[aussigal]

Low blood pressure is another thing that can alter vision...just another thing you may want to check up on.

 

[JCSydney]

Ruthie,
I've certainly had my fair share of weird vision issues, especially in the first few weeks after surgery.

Aussigal
Thank you for that bit of info, I didn't know that, and low blood pressure is what I have been having. It must be about time they took me off a few more medications post surgery.

Jeff