swelling behind eye after cataract surgery

[timmie]

Since my cataract surgery 2 months ago, I have been losing vision, especially reading
vision. I cannot read normal print with or without reading glasses at any distance.
The distance vision is not so bad as I can see about the first 2  lines of the chart. I also
have this intermittent feeling of something sharp in my eye. (The doctor took out an eye
lash deep under my top eye lid about 5 weeks ago. This feeling stopped for 2 days but has
been back since.) I had an OCT scan done today and the doctor said I have  swelling
behind my eye.  He thinks it should go away after 3 months and has asked me to see
him again then. I have been given ACULAR eye drops twice a day for 3 months for the
swelling and CELLUVISC drops 4 times a day for the irritation. My
question is what can be the cause of the intermittent eye pain and will the swelling go away
with time even if I dont take the Acular drops as I dont like to take so many drops.
    Before I had my OCT scan, I saw a nurse who put local anaesthetic drop into my eyes
and about 2 or 3  minutes later she put in drops to dilate the eyes. It is now nearly 5 hours and I still cant
see very well (with my good unooperated eye) and the sunlight is too strong. I am puzzled
why it is taking so long to return to normal. Is it usual after local drops and dilation drops?
   many thanks for your comments.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

The medicine you are taking ACULAR makes the dilation drops last longer. In fact its often used before cataract surgery for just that reason.

Your description strongly suggests cystoid macular edema, this is a common complication and does usually go away.

Use this link to learn more:

http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic400.htm

JCH III MD