double vision

[tcopel]

Hey guys, just a quick question regarding a 3 brief episodes of double vision that I had yesterday and if anyone else has noted this post surgery. I had aortic root aneursym repair with the David aortic valve repair that was done successfully May l4th. Discharged from hospital on 5th day. Had a few hours of a fib. that resolved prior to discharge. I saw on OrlandoTommys recent post that he had 6 episodes of double vision after a fairly recent procedure so I wondered if others had this problem.
Yesterday, 12 days after my surgery, as I was simply sitting on the couch, I spontaneously began to see double. No other symptom at all (palpitation, neuro disturbances, ect). At first, I thought it was the way my glasses were sitting but that wasnt the case. Lasted about 30 to 40 seconds, then resolved completely. Had another a few hours later and another in the middle of the night as I watched TV. I did have the hypothermic circulatory arrest where I understandstand my brain was cooled for 18 minutes. Is that the pumphead that Mike C has mentioned before?
Otherwise, just healing, resting, sleeping. Thanks for your help

 

[geebee]

A lot of people have occular migraines post surgery and one of the symptoms is double vision. I still have occasional problems with double vision but, then, I have had migraines all my life. However, double vision can be a symptom of a TIA so I would mention it to your cardio just to be sure.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Me too

Me too

I'll be interested in others' replies as well. I have had maybe three occurrences of this since my surgery. I would very occasionally experience them before, but it seems that having several in such close proximity is something new.

I'll maybe fire off an email to my cardiologist or mention it when I see him.

 

[Bina]

I agree, always check with your doc or cardio, especially these first few months post op. Sometimes meds play a role in what you're feeling.

I've had lots of weird sensations, etc....heart fluttering, vibrating, jumping, skipping; some brief dizzy spells; and one time I started seeing black and felt very shaky and faint.
All of these things were checked by my doc, tests taken, and I am fine.....19 months post op and no weirdness!

 

[Cooker]

I used to have it a lot.....before surgery I had it once after surgery. It was ok if I was eating cheeseburgers but not if I was talking to my wife. Two cheeseburgers two wives

Tom
AKA: SA

 

[CThrock]

I to have had the same double vision before and after surgery. It would be interesting to hear what your dr says I've never mentioned it to mine. Never had it very often so never brought it up. It sounds like you are having a good recovery otherwise. Let the vr family know the update on what you find out.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Vision annomolies and Heart Rate annomolies (a.k.a. Arrhythmias) are quite common following OHS.

Since Visual disturbances MAY be a result of a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack), I chew a regular 325 mg Aspirin 'just in case'. Before following suit, check with your PCP or Cardiologist, and report all such incidents for your record. If these disturbances do not clear up quickly, it would be wise to go and get checked out by your Cardio or go the ER if after hours. Be sure to have someone ELSE do the driving!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[tcopel]

My wife just came up to me as I was checking your guys responses. I told her, again, what a super resource our VR community is.You guys are just great. I will check with the doc about his thoughts on the double vision and post to let everyone know. It is reassuring to know that others had it too and seems to be a fleeting type response. Havent had it yet today. I have to admit it gets a little unsettling when these odd things happen. I have a history of ocular migraines that makes me have a vision as if I am looking through cut glass so I may be suscepitble. Thanks so much to everybody. The support and encouragement on this site is pretty incredible. Thanks, thanks, thanks

 

[marky]

Yep.. Me!!! I had it(double vision) pretty regularly after my MVR last May. I still get the sensation that it may happen when I look a certain direction. I had odd bouts of it for about 9months here ane there. I also get MANY occular migrains now (no pain) the first fiew weeks I after surgery I had about 10/day!
Now I average 1-2 per day..much more manageable!

congrats on your successful surgery!

 

[michellep]

Yep, I get them. I was the one who posted with Orlando Tommy. I get the double vision and once had blindness in one eye for about 10 minutes. I also get occasional numbness (generally at night) in a leg or arm.
I had an MRI and MRA and nothing unusually showed up. My neurologist said that if they are TIAs, they are very difficult to find on film.
I'm on aspirin therapy as a preventative. It might be something to discuss with your cardio as you continue your recovery.
Good luck!

 

[tcopel]

michellep, did you get a medical explaination for the blindness in one eye for 10 minutes? That had to be frightning. I find that I am very much like Marky in that I can look one direction ( in the midst of an episode)and have it to a significant degree, but not in another direction. My ocular migraines certianly have become frequent like Markys did, 4 to 5 a day. I also note some dizzy spells periodically throughout the day as Bina noted. However, overall I am doing pretty well and can deal with these crazy things if I know they are not a harbinger of something more sinister. You guys have definately reassured me, but will discuss with Doc tuesday.
Lastly, wanted to say to Fast Eddie, a hurried and complete recovery. Hopefully, your taking others advice to me and eat, sleep, eat some more and get a little more sleep. Just get better man. You too rangerscat.

 

[Marguerite53]

I am glad you are checking in with a doctor about these sensations. Chances are, they are just post surgery flare-ups in the migraine family of oddities. If your doctor recommends a drug (beyond aspirin....aspirin seems like a very reasonable addition to anyone's "cocktail" of meds) just to reduce those flare-ups, I would think twice and see if they don't just trail off on their own as time passes. There are so many anti-migraine drugs out there and while you may tire of these episodes, consider them as part and partial to the recovery and try to get used to them. More than likely, they will calm down. Mine have, considerably.

I found that mine flared up in times of stress (even minor stress, like a tense movie), when I ate salty foods, when I was singing or laughing really hard. As if the oxygen change, or bp change had something to do with it.

Currently, I've noticed that I can feel a pulling behind my eyes just before I get the double vision thing. When I feel that pull, I close my eyes and try to right things around and sometimes I can dissolve the whole episode before it starts. Not always though.

It will be interesting to hear what you are told. Some day we'll get a great answer from a cardio or surgeon who HAS them and has perhaps also had surgery! That would be useful. But as someone mentioned on an earlier thread about such visual disturbances......we sure wouldn't want a surgeon who had occular migraines getting a "broken glass" disturbance while he was operating!

Take care. Hope this is the only little nuisance you are having in a speedy recovery.

Marguerite

 

[BillB]

Double-Vision

Double-Vision

I had my aortic valve/dacron graft surgery on May 18th, and the only minor bumps that I've experienced during my recovery is night sweats, and 3 brief episodes of double vision. Two of the double vision episodes lasted approximately 45 seconds to a minute, although yesterday's episode lasted approximately 4-5 minutes. When they occur, I immediately sit down, lower my head and rest. They seem to self resolve. I meet with the cadiologist and surgeon's offices Wednesday. I plan on discussing this with them, and I'll report back with any suggestions/comments they might have.

BillB

 

[bvdr]

I've had typical migraines as a teen and young adult but became mostly ocular or atypical in my forties. They were almost gone, with a recurrance during the couple of years I was on hormones, and then came back immediately after heart surgery. When they came back they were more frequent and more severe. Imitrex helped but they responded the most to nortriptyline. Several months ago I began having double vision. Sometimes it is worse than others but I'm not at all sure it is connected with the migraines. I personally feel it is a side effect of one of my cardiac meds....flecainide. I told my neurologist I want to get off this drug and see what happens before we get involved in a lot of expensive testing. I have an appointment with my cardiologist this week for just this reason.

I hope you find out the cause of yours and that it goes away soon. As you can see, there are a lot of little oddities that crop up and it sure is nice to be on a board where such things are discussed.

 

[Tom F.]

Terry - did you get my E mail? I mentioned ocular migranes because I had them before and after surgery, did not realize you had them too before the surgery. Sounds like that may well be the issue.

 

[OrlandoTommy]

Hey T

The double vision can be a bit freaky huh? Every time it happened to me I went to the ER just to be on the safe side and nothing was ever wrong, most of the times they would do a cat scan of my head, have me talk to a neuro, touch my nose and squeeze someones hand then say I was good to go.

They did a bunch of tests on me to find out if i had a TIA but all the neuro docs said I didnt a TIA.

The last time I had a double vision episode it lasted for about 30 seconds, about 3 weeks+ ago. The next day I called my cardio doc, he was out so i asked his nurse if i could take a baby asprin, she said yes.

Ever since i spoke with her I have been taking a 81mg low dose bayer safety coated asprin every day, actually i have felt alot better and not had any eye issues.

I was also on Amioderone (i will never spell this drug right) and when i stopped that my blurry vision went away within days.

I think the asprin is helping me alot, my doc said everyone on the planet should take one of those a day as a preventitive regardless of their condition so i dont feel so bad taking the asprin.

I am on Coumadin and just about coming up on 3 months post op.

Youll be just fine, the people and support on this website are heavensent, if i didnt read the posts here and talk to people here I would have been in the nuthouse worrying myself sick about things.

Take care,
Tommy

 

[tobagotwo]

I also have the atypical or occular migraines, whcih started about the time my aortic stenosis was recognized, and has come to visit occasionally ever siince. I have occasional short bouts of double vision. I take two 81mg aspirins daily, but I don't believe they have any effect on it. They are good to lower arterial clotting potential, though.

The blindness in one eye may be a variation of the curtain effect many people report, with a gray "curtain" effect blocking part or most of the vision in one eye. I have a stigma that often shows up when I have atypicals. It's a shape that blocks part of the vision in one eye, which is something like an old-fashioned flying saucer shape. To describe it, it's a lot like what you'd get if you accidentally looked into the sun, with that blobby, green-red-gray effect. It sometimes stays for a while.

It's not harmful to get checked for TIAs, and I wouldn't advise anyone not to tell their cardiologist, but it is a common companion to valve problems and to post-op valve and valve repair recipients.

Best wishes,

 

[tcopel]

Hey guys, thankyou so much again. This site is so valuable to me. Just like picking up a phone and calling a friend who had had the same surgery and problems i've had. I plan to discuss symptoms with Doc tomorrow but I have to admit that it is very reassuring that others have things like this double vision and that I wasnt crazy nor was it suggestive of significant permenant problems (MD opinion pending). BillB, just to let you know that I had several bouts of 'clamminess' that come out of nowhere but seem to go away in minutes so I put it in that "those things just happen" catagory. I hadnt had anymore double visions since those 5 spells. Marguerite5, I also had that same pulling sensation but I didnt know how to say it. OrlandoTommy, hang in there...we'll make it, and to Tobagotwo, you always have insightful iinput. Tom, my medical hero, I got your e-mail. Thought I responded but will check.

Crap....think I just went into atrial fib. I feel ok..but hate this sensation. Will call Doc. See ya'.................Terry

 

[tcopel]

All is well. Got electrically cardioverted. I love normal sinus rythm. Going to bed. Thanks

 

[Tom F.]

Afib? Stop that ! Yea one of the risks of all of this, glad you are better.