Flashing & Curves after Cataract Surgery

Question: I had cataract surgery one week ago and see the curve of the lens as well as flashing constantly-is this to be expected?

Answer: What you are describing may well be an occurrence called "dysphotopsia". A dysphotopsia is an optical phenomenon caused by the Lens Implant used for vision correction for Cataract Surgery in some patients. A number of patients who have just had Cataract Surgery and a Lens Implants experience a problem that often shows up at night when viewing a light. A halo appears around or near the light. For most, this happens when seeing the headlights of oncoming cars while driving or riding in a car. Sometimes it appears just as little "glistening's" or flashes of light. It is very common and usually of short duration and lasts no more than 1-2 months or less after their surgery. Some patients experience what is termed a "negative dysphotopsia" in which instead of a halo, they experiences a dark curved region on the temporal edge of their field of vision. This optical phenomenon is usually caused by the way in which light is reflected off the edge of the lens implant due to its shape. This creates a new visual pattern that patients adapt to shortly after their Cataract Surgery. Both the dysphotopsia and the negative dysphotopsia are caused by the presence of the new lens and the pattern of light reflected and refracted through the Lens Implant and its edge. In almost all cases the brain adapts to the new light pattern after a brief time as noted earlier and patients simply forget that it was ever there.

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