Streaks of Light in Vision After Cataract Surgery

Unwanted visual images (or, to give it its correct name—dysphotopsia) occur in up to 67% of patients after a cataract operation. However, these are generally transient and disappear over the next weeks and/or months. 

Seeing streaks of light in your vision after cataract surgery is one such symptom.

Everything You Need to Know about Streaks of Light in Vision After Cataract Surgery

• What is it?
• What other common dysphotopsia symptoms might I get?
• When will they go away?

What is it?

Unwanted visual effects are the result of your eyes and brain adjusting to a new, clearer field of vision. Your cataracts took years to develop. During that time, the brain had to learn to translate gradually changing signals. The surgical procedure causes unimpeded information to be sent to the brain—and that’s a shock for it to deal with.

Therefore, seeing strange visuals for the few weeks it takes for the brain to readjust makes perfect sense—it’s your clever nervous system digesting all this new information and translating it into clear vision. We can probably forgive it for making a few mistakes as it settles down…

 It’s more common to get such symptoms if you have advanced, multifocal IOLs implanted, rather than monofocal. This is because the brain has less new data to deal with.

What other common dysphotopsia symptoms might I get?

The most common dyphotopsia issues people experience after cataract surgery are:

• Seeing streaks of light—sometimes described as “starbursts”.
• Seeing halos around a light source.
• Excessive glare.
• Seeing an arc-shaped shadow or line in the field of vision.

Dysphotopsias are categorized as being either positive or negative. The former are light-related, such as streaks of light, glares, halos, etc. The latter is when you see shadows or lines in your vision.

When will they go away?

In 97.8% of people, such symptoms gradually fade over a few weeks. During that time you may need to make certain adjustments, such as wearing sunglasses to reduce any excessive glare and not driving at night.

In the very small percentage of those who continue to get visual disturbances after the post-op period, there are options to treat them. Eyeglasses or contacts might be the answer. In some cases, it can be down to a condition called Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO), which is easily treated with a single 5-minute procedure, known as YAG laser.

It’s important to know that seeing streaks of light in your vision (often accompanied by seeing a shadowy veil intrude across your vision from the top or top corner) can be a signal of a serious condition, known as retinal detachment. If this should occur suddenly—and perhaps accompanied by the appearance of multiple new floaters—you should seek medical help. A detached retina is a sight-threatening condition and needs immediate treatment.

However, if you see streaks of light in your vision after cataract surgery (or any of the other above-mentioned symptoms), it’s generally not cause for concern. It’s simply your body doing its clever adjustments in response to your new and improved vision.

Get the Best Pre-Op, During Op, and Post-Op Care at the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic

The specialist arm of the globally renowned West Boca Eye Center, the Modern Cataract Surgery Clinic does exactly what its title suggests—deals with everything cataract-related.

We wholeheartedly believe that the better informed our patients are, the better equipped they are to deal with transient side effects—such as streaks of light in vision after cataract surgery. Whatever stage of your cataract journey you might be at, our expert team is at your disposal.

From cataract monitoring to cutting-edge operations, post-op care, and any necessary intervention at any time after an operation, you can relax knowing you’re in the best of hands.

Discover more at https://www.moderncataractsurgery.com