Black arc after cataract surgery contd.....

[radar7]

I could see a black arc in my left eye three weeks after cataract surgery and posted a question about it on 4/12 which was anwered by Houman Vosoghi MD on the 5/12.  As suggested by Dr. Vosoghi I requested by surgeon to dilate my eye and test to see if the lense is sitting OK etc.  He carried out this test and said that everything looks fine and that this problem would most probably leave after a while.

Two months have passed and the problem remains the same.  I am using multifocal lense glasses on the advice given to me by my surgeon and this helps the problem a lot.  However, whenever I take my glasses off I feel as if the operated eye is deformed.  Feels as it is smaller than the other eye - the black arc is still there and when I look down if feels as if the eye lid goes diagonally across the eye.  What could be causing this problem, will it be permanent and what percentage of people having cataract surgery experience this problem.  

An early reply would be much appreciated.  Thanks very much.


This discussion is related to Black arc after cataract surgery.

[radar7]

Thanks jump007 for your comment.  Since the experience that doctors have with fixing this problem appears to be so limited I have  settled for managing with my multifocal glasses and learning to live with it.  My surgeon suggested that doing the second eye might help.  No assurances about that either.  I was given information on what can go wrong re infections etc. I never imagined that the lenses themselves can cause such problems.  This is what disappoints me about my specialist.  The positives are given so much emphasis - the negatives hardly mentioned - and then you have a sign a form which is referred to as "informed consent"
Your experience has helped me to decide that I am not going to have any more surgical intervention just hope it improves with time.  It is four months post op now as is just as bad as at the beginning without glasses.  My cataract which was removed was far less of a bother than this problem.

[jump007]

I have negative dysphotopsia too (Crystalens HD2 IOL in 2009) in both eyes. It has never improved. I got used to it and decided not to have a replacement, because nobody could assure me that it would not happen again.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

This is call negative dysphotopsia if this on the temporal side (toward your ear).  You can Google it.  Most of resolve with time.  If not a IOL exchange or piggyback IOL may be needed.

Dr. O.