Acute and Subacute Iridocyclitis

  I`m a 37yo Male back in 1995 I had RK surgery, ever since then I`ve had problems with my left eye. Pressure builds up in the eye sometimes giving me double vision and my eye is always red, I go to the eye surgeon and he gives me medication to reduce the pressure in my eye, the medication helps but it always reacurres. I asked the doctor what causes the problem, he says they don`t know what causes the problem, but they can treat the problem. Can you give me some insite on the problem I`m having.

dear ralph
happy holidays!  the "buildup of pressure" in an eye is called glaucoma. glaucoma is a disorder that results in damage to our optic nerves, the nerves that supply our vision. they take the visual signal from our retina ( the "film" of the eye ) & transmit it to our brain where vision is processed. in this fashion the optic nerves act like "cable" for the eye. when they get damaged in glaucoma we lose some or all of our vision, depending on the severity of the glaucoma. this begins only with side vision, and then can move on to more central, or reading vision.  glaucoma is usually a slow moving disorder- it typically takes years to cause significant damage.  this most common form is called "primary open angle glaucoma" and usually causes the patient no pain, reddness or discomfort. so it seems unlikely with your symptoms that this is what you are experiencing.  However, there are forms of glaucoma, called "secondary" glaucomas, that can be associated with reddness and inflammation, like iritis ( "iridocyclitis" ).  this is a whole separate catergory.  this would cause your reddness and pain and may cause pressure elevations, requiring treatment.  to properly diagnose the type of glaucoma and the cause requires careful follow up, and often a medical workup.  if it is truly an iritis associated with glaucoma it should not "just" be treated, it requires a formal workup.  i would discuss this possibilty with your eye md ( ophthalmologist ).  by the way, i doubt that this problem, if it is truly iritis with glaucoma, was induced by your RK- this would be very atypical.  i hope this helps
sincerely,   hfhs md ke
Disclaimer:
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
KEYWORDS : iritis, glaucoma, radial keratotomy
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