Double Vision

[msswartz]

Hello,

I too am experiencing double vision.  The images of the right and left eye do not merge as they should.  The image in the right eye, my surgery side, is slightly above and slightly tilted to the left.  This is very confusing to me and I really have a hard time looking through both eyes.  So I have taken a pair of glasses and taped one side to block the image on the right.  I end up seeing kind of a screen which I have to ignore but it is much easier that trying to ignore a second image.

At night I just wear an eye patch because the lights from other cars are much too bright when I am driving.

Here is a picture of my loving wife and me about 2-1/2 months after my surger.
http://www.itsupportnet.com/surgery/lovebirds.jpg

Best of luck to you.  I hope that your vision issues and mine resolve soon.

Michael

[Karen]

Michael, I too had double vision for a about a year after AN surgery.  I wore tape on my left lense   too.  My  double vision was up and tilted too.  Finally after 3 eye muscle surgeries and slight prizms in my glasses it's ok.  That and the dry eye really is a pain.  I also don't have feeling in that eye and side of my face.  Karen

[msswartz]

Hi Debbie,

Wow, a year huh?  That isn't very encouraging.  So it didn't resolve on it's own.  You had various surgeries?  What exactly did you have done if you don't mind me asking.

Michael

[gman100]

I personally had surgery in August of 2008 and I have had double vision the whole time.  However, it has been quantitatively improving at a very slow rate now for the last 18 months. During normal eye movements I would say my eye moves about 50% of the way over, which is an improvement over not moving at all, rather it was plastered as far medially as possible. When I really really try, nystagmus and all, I would say it can move about 75% of the way laterally. I didn't see any improvement for probably 4 months I would say, and the eye wouldn't budge past the middle position for about 12-13 months I would say.

[msswartz]

Hi,

My eye tracks with the other one as far as the doc can tell.   The eyelid closes mostly when I close the other eyelid.  I can no longer close the right side (surgery side) independently.  The vision itself is a little off because I have ointment in it most of the time so I have not been able to test it.  But the eye has been irritated and is probably out of shape because of the sagging muscles, and sagging eyebrow.

But the double vision is interesting.  As I mentioned, it overlaps the image of the left eye, is slightly up and tilted a little.  I don't know what is going on there.

Michael

[Katiedee]

I had double vision for a number of months post AN surgery.  It was a 14 hour surgery and highly vascularized tumor which is why it took so long.  Plus I had a very detail orientated surgeon that said he did his surgery on his patients as if they were family members.  However, he was defensive as well when I came back for a follow up in 30 days with a completely paralyzed face he rushed me back to the back of the office to get me out of public view.  I was not a good advertisement for his services.  I'm still happy with his work but the follow up was non-existant.  My experience taught me to be a proactive consumer and if I do not get the answers I need or want move on.    Usually someone does have an answer.  Because my vision normalized doesn't mean other's will, but I can report that it did and that it seems early yet in your recovery. 

[Wwoodian]

I have awesome news to report!  My double vision cleared!  I had a horrible cold a couple of days ago--the first bug I've gotten since surgery thankfully.  I was sneezing so hard I told my husband I felt like I was going to blow a hole through the top of my head!  Following a miserable sleepless night, the next morning I realized my vision was normal again!  I don't know if it was a coincidence, but regardless I am celebrating!   

Thank you to everybody who responded by giving their experiences with double vision too.  It truly gave me hope and knowledge that I couldn't find anywhere else.  I hope that others (like you Michael) who are still experiencing double vision will have an end in sight as well.

I'm so happy to be on an easier track toward healing!!!

[gman100]

I'm glad that your double vision cleared up, it must be truly nice. I was just wondering, were your eyes crossed before and now they aren't? Out of surgery my right eye wouldn't move past middle no matter what. However, after week six post-op it spontaneously started moving more medially until by week seven it was practically perfect. In the matter of one week it pretty much fixed itself by 50%. It was definitely followed by physical changes in the muscle working though. I must say I was kind of waiting for something similar to happen to my left eye, but it's been ~18 months and the progress, and yes there has been some, has been slow as snails.

[Sabsemn]

I see that some of you had double vision for a long time. Did you manage to drive at all during that time, if so did you have prisms or some other form of help to correct the double vision until it cleared up?

[CHD63]

Hi Sabsemn .....

This thread is very old so many of the original posters may have moved on in their lives and no longer check the posts on this thread.

Suffice it to say, if you have pronounced double vision, it would not be a good idea to get behind the wheel of a car.  I am not an ophthalmologist or optometrist so I do not know what effect a prism might have on your vision.

In my case, the double vision was constant for about two weeks immediately post-op, but as my brain healed and compensated, it became intermittent.  Fatigue and stress always made it worse so I knew not to drive under those situations.

Are you post treatment and have double vision or are you just wondering what to expect?  Not everyone has double vision post-treatment.

Clarice

[Sabsemn]

It's post-op, no, no driving like this. I am actually inquiring for my girlfriend. Just wondering what others have experienced, but seeing the ophthalmologist until May, which seems like forever.