On August 8, 2011, I had mitral valve repair surgery. It turned into a tough surgery, and I had to be put on an ECMO machine (advanced heart lung machine) for several days. Although I recovered from my surgery and am now getting stronger through cardiac rehab, I have a vision problem. Everything looks as if I'm wearing sun glasses all the time. There is also a line of vision that is dark unless I raise my head to see better. This has been very frustrating, especially on already dark days. i have an appt. with a well known eye clinic in February. Has anyone experienced vision problems?
Vision problems after Mitral Valve Repair Surgery
- Thread starter Marrhea
- Start date
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AgilityDog
Well-known member
Is it possible you had a stroke while in surgery, or shortly thereafter? It happens sometimes. I'd certainly ask about that. Sometimes you get that vision back, sometimes (most times?) not. There was a thread on this just the other day....
Welcome Marrhea. Your description may suggest a small "stroke". I had a stroke (CVA) several years after surgery that left me with a permanent visual problem. There are a number of "threads" on this forum that have addressed this type of problem. Have you discussed this with any of your doctors? February seems a long time to wait for a medical diagnosis, especially if this is a "new" problem. Glad you found us. There is a lot of good info and support on this site.:thumbup:
Sorry to hear you had such a rough time. What a blessing you were in a hospital with ECMO and recoverred so well, it also shows what a strong person and fighteryou are. As others have said vision problems are common after OHS, but usually that is more like blurry vision , kind of like you need new glasses, I dont recall anyone describing what you are experiening tho. and it does sound more like a small stroke, which I could imagine days on ecmo could increase the odds of small strokes, either from bleeding or clots or lower O2 etc.. I also agree with Dick that Feb sounds like a really long time to wait, especially since your surgery was in august so that would be 6 months if you've had this since surgery/ecmo. Have you had any tests like a brain cat scan?
Gosh its upsetting to hear about these vision issues you are having. Did you notice this right after surgery or something that progressed with time? I would get to see an eye specialist ASAP. I'm hoping it was not a stroke that caused this but as the others have stated it sounds like it may have been. I recently had an eye exam and my eyes look great I'm 5 months post op. The eye doc I talked to said my strange symptoms might be a result of meds I'm taking especially beta blockers. I do have strange vision episodes once in awhile but more then that I get a 1000 yard stare/dazed/trance like episodes daily which seem to be getting better as I slowly come of beta blockers. Have you considered medication issues?
Just curious if you have consulted an opthamologist ?
chaconne
Well-known member
Marrhea,
1 week post op, I had an event that blocked half of my vision in the right eye. I was later told it was most likely AMAUROSIS FUGAX, which is a small blood clot to the eye. Based on my reading of this condition, it sounds like you may have a similar issue. I now have only a small blind spot in the lower periphery of my right eye that is hardly noticeable. Even so, it seems that I am vulnerable to this. My cardio raised my INR range from 2.0-3.0 to 2.5-3.5 as a result.
1 week post op, I had an event that blocked half of my vision in the right eye. I was later told it was most likely AMAUROSIS FUGAX, which is a small blood clot to the eye. Based on my reading of this condition, it sounds like you may have a similar issue. I now have only a small blind spot in the lower periphery of my right eye that is hardly noticeable. Even so, it seems that I am vulnerable to this. My cardio raised my INR range from 2.0-3.0 to 2.5-3.5 as a result.
chaconne
Well-known member
Are the effects the same in both eyes? This can be an indicator of it being in the brain rather than in the eye(s).
EclipseDS
Member
Sorry to hear you're having vission problems. I do experience frequent migraine headache and visual aura/large white spots since my AVR, from 2-3x/year to almost 2-3x/week. And now, I just noticed recently that I'm having smoky/foggy vision every now and then. Every time I enter a room or go outside, it looks to me like there's a fire nearby. My friends and family thought I was imagining things every time I ask where the smoke is coming from. I guess I'll be seeing an ophthalmologist.
