Eyes after surgery?

[Ovie]

1) I apologize for an odd thread name, I had nothing though :/

Question though, I've read about people who have had odd vision occurances after heart surgery, can anyone tell me who may be in a line of work where you are starring at a computer all day if it's becoming a problem after your surgery? or even limit the amount of television you use to watch?

I know it's kind of a strange question, but curiosity caught up to me.

Thanks.

 

[Jimmyjames]

First I ever heard of anyone having vision problems after surgery

 

[nngbwh]

I spend almost the whole day staring at a computer screen. i've never had any problems with my eyes.

 

[tobagotwo]

The problem you are probably referring to is called an occular migraine or visual migraine. It can occur before the surgery or after (or both), it affects only some people, and it affects some people who have no known valve issues at all. It just seems to be more prevalent in people with valve issues. They're annoying, and initially scary, but not painful or permanent.

It is most often not accompanied by a migraine headache. A session usually consists of either a "half-sheet effect" or a blob effect of partial blockage to the vision of one, or occassionally both eyes. The effect is often similar to the blobby area you may see after you accidently look directly into the sun for a moment. There may be some sparkling or shimering effects, like pieces of broken stained glass, or an effect called "fortifications," which looks like an aerial view of a walled fortress (with sparkles). The effect lasts from a couple of minutes to (rarely) twenty minutes or so.

Complete blockage of the vision of one or both eyes may be a TIA or stroke. That is an ER-required event. If you're not on warfarin (Coumadin) and aren't allergic to it, taking an aspirin on the way to the ER shouldn't hurt, even if it turns out not to be a TIA in the end.

It's best the first time it happens to take a visit to an ophthalmologist, to ensure that you aren't having a retinal tear. Although quite a few here have then made the effort follow up with neurologists, I've not seen anyone come back with a satisfying result from the time and money spent for that effort. A few got possible names for it: none claimed to have a treatment that I can recall. The phenomenon tends to fade over time with most people.

I used to get them frequently, both before and after my surgeries, but they hardly ever show up now.

Best wishes,

 

[Lynlw]

In addition to what Bob mentioned, it seems to be pretty common for your eyes to be "blurry" shortly after surgery, kind of like you need stronger glasses or glasses if you dont wear them thing. So it MIGHt make reading a little harder
Usually it doesnt last long and most doctors will tell you to wait a couple months before getting new glasses, since chances are when things settle down they will be the wrong prescripton for you. Like everything else heart surgery related, not everyone has the same experience with their eyes being blurry ater surgery and even the same person can have different experiences with different surgeries. A couple of Justin's surgeries he had vision that wasnt quite as clear as normal even with glasses, but other surgeries there was no problem.

 

[Julian]

Im on the computer all day at work. After surgery I was getting a lot of vision issues. I was getting some vision issues before surgery but my issues got worse after. I get this sensation where im looking at something and for some reason have to look away or squint, almost light im sensative to light but it will even happen in low light situations. I have also gotten issues where my vision looks cross eyed for a few minutes. Happened once or tsi e before surgery and then happened once after but the one after surgery was the worst. Scary feeling. I also get more headaches now after surgey which I would rarley get before. I do experience the silent migrane vision symptoms as well and strang e little bonus eye issues that werent mentioned as well. Overall I guess you can say I had most of these issues before surgey and after they got worse, seems like for several years before surgey these eye issues became more noticable as my valve issues became more severe. Id like to blame it on the heart lung machine causing damage to the brain and maybe even eyes.

 

[Julian]

Again I would like to blame my android icecream os for the mispelled words and extra spaces in some of my posts. This os mixed with the recent upgrade/fomat to the forum layout is not working for me. Anyway yall know what im trying to say. Makes me just want to post on my computer only.

 

[Boston Tiger]

I too stare at the computer screen all day for work, and haven't has any real problems. I had a couple of the occular migranes that Tobago Bob mentioned, but nothing permanent. The only thing I notice is that I need to watch my posture, since I can still feel it if I sit hunched over while typing or entering data for a prolonged period. I take breaks from the computer more often than I did before, but that's recommended even for people who haven't had surgery.

 

[catwoman]

I never had problems pre-op. My ophthalmic migraines started 2-3 days post-op. I remember describing them to my surgeon while I was still in the hospital and he didn't understand what I was talking about.
My father knew what I was describing, because he too has them and he's never had OHS. I told him about the episodes about 10 days post-op (had had several episodes by then), while I was recuperating at my parents' home. My dad had even visited a neuro-ophthalmologist who told him there isn't much that can be done if you just get visual disturbances. No headaches involved.

Mine come and go. Sometimes at work, sometimes on a weekend while I'm out shopping. So I do not correlate them to using a computer monitor, TV, whatever.

A couple of years post-op, I chatted with a friend who had taught at the optometry school in Memphis, Tenn. He knew exactly what I was talking about, and said it has to do with disturbances in blood flow affecting the optic nerve (if I remember the conversation correctly). BTW, his mother (at that time in her late 70s or early 80s maybe) had had a St. Jude mechanical implanted at age 63.

There's no rhyme or reason to mine. I used to chart them in a daytimer, but never found any contributing factors. No headaches, just brilliant zig-zag lights even if I shut my eyes. Gone within 20-30 minutes.

 

[Julian]

A couple of years post-op, I chatted with a friend who had taught at the optometry school in Memphis, Tenn. He knew exactly what I was talking about, and said it has to do with disturbances in blood flow affecting the optic nerve (if I remember the conversation correctly). BTW, his mother (at that time in her late 70s or early 80s maybe) had had a St. Jude mechanical implanted at age 63.

There's no rhyme or reason to mine. I used to chart them in a daytimer, but never found any contributing factors. No headaches, just brilliant zig-zag lights even if I shut my eyes. Gone within 20-30 minutes.

I'd like to one up this post by catwomen. Its possible that much of the strange eye complaints we have before and after surgery are blood supply/pressure/flow related to that area of the brain and eyes. I was talking to an eye doctor that was telling me how beta blockers cause patients to come in complaining about eye issues. Once they are off the blockers the issues stop. In fact he told me that people who have glaucoma or something like that are prescribed "beta blocker" eye drops to help with the condition. Again blood pressure/flow can effect the body is different ways.

Understanding this, can you imagine having a kinked hose your whole life and then all of the sudden overnight the kink is released and much force/pressure/flow is pushed through the body. Its probably traumatic to the mini blood vessels in the whole body but especially those in the eye and brain. I've talked to a few doctors about this while I was in the hospital and they just shrugged. Point I'm trying to make is that you can't have such a severe correction like this and not expect some type of strange response from the body but especially noticeable from the brain and eye which controls the sensory aspect of your being and is most obvious to notice. I'm sure other areas of the body are going through similar things but you will never notice because you cant see/feel/taste/smell them.

What I'm saying is the extreme increased blood flow to the whole body is at first not a welcomed visitor when for 30 years it has been used to getting by on empty. I'll go further to say the your whole bodies vascular structure has been built upon "kinked" blood flow most your life and now you want to change that 3 to 6 months post op all systems go back to normal or better than? That's too optimistic for me. Expect your body to adjust to the benefits of increased blood flow within the next 5 years before really saying your fully recovered. Its kinda like the "butterfly effect" a little change in the pattern on how the blood leaves the heart may effect how your brain responds to it. Its these little changes that I think get overlooked after surgery and may be the general answer to a lot of post op complaints in general.

 

[Sarah_Louise]

My eye sight is absolutly awful, i've wore glasses since i was 4 years old because the bypass machine had effected the blood vessels in my eye's, so now if i don't have my glasses on i honeslt can't see anything, even if its right under my nose its just a blur of colour!
And now cause of my strokes my vision is effected there too-leaving a blured patch in my visula field that i've been told wont get better!
Love Sarah xxxx

 

[enkaynj]

Ovie,
I had weird eye issues after my surgery. I would see a colored icon (it was always the same icon) moving in front of my eyes any time I looked at a bright light source. I would then close my eyes and it would go away in a minute or so. I have heard that other folks have had similar - if not the exact- issue. Some attribute it to the diuretics I was on which would cause imbalances in your chemical levels in the blood; others said it was common to see bright spots after any surgery. not sure why, they eventually disappeared after a month. I too work with computers a lot and I currently do not have any eye issues. Even if threre were, since I always had poor vision, maybe I am oblivious to the changes.

 

[catwoman]

I have worn glasses since I was in the 3rd grade, so I can't fault my vision on my surgery. I am nearly 8 years 8 months post-op and still have the ophthalmic migraines that started 2-3 days post-op.
I don't think I had a "kinked hose" all my life, although my MVP was DXed in early 1990. That's only when it was DXed, so we don't know when it actually developed.

 

[bradvo]

I do believe my eyes tweaked a bit, my prescription glasses are just not as good as they were.
Could be coincidence tho.

Brad

 

[Ovie]

I commented in a thread once, that I was having issues with my eyes. No headaches, but like someone above mentioned above, it felt as if I had been starring at the sun. After finding out about my heart, I thought to myself maybe that all this time it was heart related, it's very rare when it happens, however my eyes are already very sensitive to light, especially at night..so I'm really hoping that doesn't get worst after the surgery.

From the look of things it looks like everyone has had different experiences, just really hoping it isn't a major issue after, because when something odd happens with my eyes, it tends to send my body into straight panic attack mode. But it will be what it will be and I suppose there's no changing it. Thank you for all the replies.

Also, Julian..your remark about the butterfly effect on the body is actually very intriguing and makes you wonder? However I don't know if logically its correct, or isnt, kind of something interesting to ponder or maybe even ask questions about.

 

[Mileena46]

Can never remember not having the flashing lights in a zig zag pattern that would begin in one corner of my eye and take about 15-20 minutes to move all the way across and out of my vision. No headache though. My eye doctor told me this was a migraine without the headache and I was lucky. Cannot remember when I didn't get episodes of double vision.....where I felt one eye pull to the right or left and I couldnt focus. Happened most often when I was tired. I could work through the double vision by focusing my eyes upward and on one object until it cleared....usually in 5 min or less. Since my surgery 2 years and 7 months ago....have had NOT ONE episode of either.....also seemed to have improved my dizzy spells and vertigo problems....at least up until now. I am praying those things never come back. However I believe that my overall vision has worsened. I have always been horribly nearsighted, but now have more trouble seeing up close. Since I will be 49 this year, I am blaming that part on age.


Mileena

 

[jarno1973]

I had a similar thing happen before and after surgery..I call it temporary blurred vision...it would come for a few minutes and be gone again. It mostly seemed to happen in the morning and especially if I did not have a proper breakfast. It happens a lot less now but I still have some slightly "strange" things involving my eye sight happen sometimes.

Regards,

Jarno

 

[johnp]

My eyesight has always been excellent, I am on a computer screen all day, and and I have experienced some of this "occular migraine or visual migraine." Not sure what it is or was, but that description sure fts.

It was very clearly someting I associated with post surgery, and I while I have isolated episodes where one eye had the halo effect, it passed - usually when I walked away from the computer screen for a while. I never was very concerned about it.

There are actually a number of "interesting observations" post surgery, most of them so slight that it is hardly worth mention, but I see them as all reminders that I had fairly major surgery, my heart was stopped for a while, I was on a heart lung machine, etc.