Extended pupil dilation concern

[SteveMarston]

Hi all - My partner underwent scleral buckle surgery 5 months ago on her left eye to resolve a retinal detachment, and again 8 weeks again on her other eye as a preventative measure. In both eyes, as part of the after care she took 4 daily doses of Mydrilate (1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride) to cause pupil dilation. She stopped taking the drops after four weeks of usage after the surgery in each eye, so stopped 4 months ago in her left eye and 2 months ago in her right eye.

The issue is that after 4 months now, the pupil in her left eye is still dilated, about 40% bigger than it normally would be still, and the pupil in her right eye is still more than twice it's normal size after two months. The dilation means she cannot focus on anything close up, can't read, can't use a PC and also middle distance vision is very poor.

Does anyone have any experience with this extended dilation? Everything I can find suggests normally the dilation will disappear within a couple of days, or at most a few weeks, so 2-4 months does not seem right. So far the surgeon is just saying that time will resolve, but no idea how much time, so I'm hoping to find others with similar experiences that can share them.

Steve

[Joan M Pernoud, MD]

I have never heard of a permanent dilation with that medication. But I would think it would be back to normal now.

[Hadidi]

Hi,

I underwent the same surgery on both eyes along with vitrectomy, laser and cryo.. The pupils are both still dilated! I researched the net to only find that it was a common complication of these forgoing procedures. A doctor said online that if it was still there after 4-6 months then it would be permanent!

In my experience, the vision shouldn't be affected that much by the dilatation of the pupil. I need to squint to be able to read a newspaper or PC. The loss of the focus might be related to the lens or the retina itself I assume. It has been almost 3 months since my left eye surgery and I have been trying to adjust to the dilatation in my pupil.

Good luck, Hadidi

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Yes even the longest lasting eye drops (atropine) evenutally wear off after 2-3 weeks. However a permanently dilated pupil is a common complication of scleral buckle surgery for RD as is double vision.

JCH MD

[dennis57]

I still have a dilated, non-functioning pupil in my surgical eye. My MD lied to me (as reported by a Johns Hopkins Wilmer resident) and told me that it would return to normal function within a year. Unfortunately, I believed him and also on other matters which he was less than honest. I finally went to a Hopkins associated institution which was the best thing I did.

Dennis-Baltimore

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

-