concerned if my upcoming eye surgery will affect VEP test

Question

Hi everyone!! Feb. 9th I will be having a double surgery , orbital implants and sinus. I am scheduled to have an Evoked Potential test on Feb. 24th,, my question is.... will my surgery on my eyes cause a disturbance or change anykind of results on the Visiual Evoked part of the test?

I was supposed to have this surgery Jan. 26th, but was rescheduled , and that's why I scheduled the Evoked Potential test for the end of Feb. to give me enough time to heal.

Thanks to anyone that can help,
Pam

wiggles94 · Accepted Answer

From what I understand about the VEP test - it only tests how long the nerves take to respond to a stimulus.

Evoked potential tests measure electrical activity in certain areas of the brain in response to stimulation of certain groups of nerves. These tests are often used to assist in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis because they can indicate problems along the pathways of certain nerves that are too subtle to be noticed or found on a doctor's exam. Problems along the nerve pathways are a direct result of the disease. The demyelination causes the nerve impulses to be slowed, garbled, or halted altogether.

Abnormal response times can also be associated with other neurological diseases or with damaged optic nerves and eyes.

This info comes from this site:
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/evoked-potential-test-for-multiple-sclerosis

So if I read this correctly - this test does just indicates that you have damage to the optic nerve , but doesn't say how the damage was caused.

I think your question is a good one. Did your neuro from Rochester give you his e mail address?  Mine did - and when I emailed him he got right back to me.  If he didn't give you his address, maybe if you called the office, they could give it to you, or take your question and have him get back to you.  

I think you are right to be wondering how this test will help - what will change if you get a postive test? Does that mean this doc will dx you  - even if your eye damage could be from optic neuropathy?  Very interesting!
Carol

drsdonthelp · Answer

Michelle,
Thank you, and yes it has been the hardest part of my life!!  I will be grateful when it's over. Still no guarantee that it will work, I can only hope and pray.

Pam

michelleric · Answer

Pam,
I am sorry about your eye issues.  I am glad the decompression worked, but guess it worked too well.  Such a hard disease on the eyes.

I have worked with Pediatric/neuro Ophthalmologists for about 20 years, and I do think and know that Grave's disease is the toughest to treat, particularly with the double vision.  I really am sorry you are dealing with this.

I hope the upcoming surgeries go well, and you will be eye and sinus problem free!

Best of luck,
Michelle

drsdonthelp · Answer

So glad your back!! Thanks for the info. I guess I will find out after surgery if I can see! I hope so.

I hate to say it, but I hope it will detect something so I can finally get a dx. and start on some kind of med. 

Pam  :)

COBOB · Answer

As long as you can still see the checkerboard pattern change, the VEP will work.  That is the great thing about this test.  

Bob

drsdonthelp · Answer

wiggles-

Thank you for all of the info. I Really appreciate it. My doc. in Rochester did not give me his email personally, I am not even sure if its on a brochure or anything, I didn't pay much attention. lol

Anyway, I know I need to call the office, its been suggested before and for some reason, I haven't gotten to it and keep bugging everyone here about it.

Michelle-  Yes, I do have Graves Disease. My eyes started to "Grow" after i had Radio Active Iodine treatment to ablate the thyroid. ( I will never recommend to anyone)

I had to go through radiation to both eyes, orbital decompression surgery to set the eyes back in, eyelid retraction to lower the eyelids, and eye muscle, because of the crooked eyes and double vision.

 The reason for this surgery Orbital Implants is because after the decompression (bone chipped away to make room to settle my eyes back in) my eyes have settled in too far. Now they are sinking inward and downward. HORRIBLE FEELING, and I cannot see below me because my eyes sink right into my lower lid.

The sinus part of the surgery has to be done at the same time because the eye surgeon believes that my eyes settled in too far because of chronic sinusitis. 

It's been a battle.

Thank you for the well wishes.
Pamela

michelleric · Answer

Actaully I re-read your post.  Just curious what the eye surgery is for?  I saw you have thyroid issues, do you have Graves?  I do hope things go well for you...Michelle

michelleric · Answer

Pam,
By orbital implants, I am "assuming you mead cataract surgery? Is that right?  Are you having 1 eye done first?  I would "probably" give your eye(s) time to heal longer than 1 month for the VEP.  "should" be fine, and hopefully will be fine though.

Good luck to you,
Michelle

drsdonthelp · Answer

I believe my dx of optic neuropathy could have actually been optic neuritis but went undetected at the time because of my eye disease. I guess I will have to wait and see how the test goes. 
At this point, whatever the actual word is that the doc's are using for my dx, the VEP test will most likely be abnormal since I have damage to the optic nerve. 

I am so sorry ... I feel like I am talking in circles.. Lol

My question now is..... Is a VEP test done to see if you have damage to the optic nerve?
If it is, then it would make no sense to have this part of the test done. Right?
I dont know, I start feeling so confused.

Thanks for helping me out,
Pam

wiggles94 · Answer

Pam - My sister was dx right around age 50. - with ON - and CIS.  She is in a study for oral meds - and followed very closely.  We are both still wondering about our dx.
Carol

drsdonthelp · Answer

Carol -  If you don't mind me asking.. How old is your sister? I ask this because, from what I have read about optic neuropathy it is normally dx'd after the age of 50.  I was dx'd with it at age 36 and mainly because during that time i had just had an eye surgery, so the explanation of the damage to the optic nerve was from the swelling from my eye disease.

However, 3 months following surgery, the eye became worse with visual loss but later was better, ( this is when I think I was hit with a bout of ON) . (COBOB also believes that is what happened)

Shell -  I don't even know if that will make a difference since I already have a damaged optic nerve,  I guess what I am wondering is being that the test is to determine a problem to the optic nerve, how do they know if is optic neuritis or optic neuropathy that would make the test abnormal.
This is probably a question that is going to be hard to answer. LOL

My mind is always going... whether it is normal or not!! Ha Ha

Thanks guys,
Pam

sllowe · Answer

Dang - Another chicken or the egg riddle.

Can you get a VEP before and after?

wiggles94 · Answer

Hi Pam. 

 I can't answer your question - but I can tell you that my sister , who was dx with CIS by her neuro due to optic neuritis didn't pass the vep.  But she also had a neuroptomologist disagree with the ON - and think she had ischemic optic neuropathy - but it's my understanding that her flunking the VEP didn't make a difference in them being able to tell if she had ON or ischemic optic neuropathy.

I wish you well in getting answers and your surgery!
Carol

drsdonthelp · Answer

Thanks Paula,

I hope not!! LOL   So far, everything that I have needed to get done (surgery, tests,etc..) have all been scheduled, cancelled, rescheduled... I'm sure you know that feeling.. I am literally exhausted of all of these appts.

The thing that is weighing heavily on my mind is the fact that i have already been dx'd with ischemic optic neuropathy in my right eye. If this test is to determine optic nerve damage or whatever, how do they know if its caused from optic neuritis or optic neuropathy??

I don't get it!!  LOL
I understand if you are not sure of this particular question, hopefully , someone that might have the answer can chime in.

Thanks and Hope you are  doing well,
Pam

figuerpa · Answer

Pam,

I honestly couldn't tell you whether it will or not. In my opinion it seems like it would but you should ask the doctor if he/she thinks you should reschedule the VEP test until your eyes are better or if you can go ahead with the VEP. 

Wishing you the best of luck,
Paula

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