Double Vision after Cataract Surgery

Question: I have double vision since I had cataract surgery. First I had the right eye done in April 2011 followed by the left eye in May 2011. It was fine after the first eye but a few weeks after the second eye I had double vision. In August 2011 the optometrist said it was 6th nerve palsy caused by high blood pressure. I have high blood pressure but don't think it was that. If I close 1 eye it goes away. First it happened in the car when I looked on the left side of the road but now it happens when I see straight ahead. Should I get a 2nd opinion?

Answer: While your double vision is not likely to have any relationship to the Cataract Surgery, you should immediately schedule an appointment with both your Cataract Surgeon and your primary care physician who treats you for the high blood pressure. ANY new onset of double vision or diplopia requires a thorough medical and ophthalmologic examination in order to identify the underlying cause of the diplopia, of which high blood pressure might be one, along with a number of other systemic and neurological conditions. Identifying the cause and ruling out other causes is absolutely necessary.

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