<p>I know there have been a few similar threads - but not this scenario - so I am curious to see if anyone else has experienced. My mother is 80 and has always had very poor vision. She is essentially blind in her left eye and was very hesitant to have surgery on her right eye. As her right eye vision was worsening, she finally had the cataract surgery in June. Initially - it was wonderful. She could see distance very well and received a contact lens to wear to help her read. All was good for a few months. Then in October, she started having trouble with the contact lens - suddenly it no longer fit properly - was getting stuck under her upper eyelid - and her vision was blurry. She has returned to the regular eye doctor who had no explanation for why the contact lens was no longer helping her - he has simply ordered a different one for her to try. She also is finding that her distance vision - which was so great after the surgery - is not as sharp either.</p>
<p>Has anyone else experienced this? Is part of the healing process that it takes a few months to really determine what the corrected vision wil be? I have suggested she go back to the cataract surgeon asap and see what is going on - she seems reluctant to do so. She wants to see what happens with the new contact lens or possibly reading glasses first. It’s just so disappointing to see her have great vision for a few months and now be sliding backwards.</p>
<p>Go back to the surgeon ASAP! In some people a membrane turns cloudy post-cataract surgery and needs to be fixed with a very quick laser treatment. I forget the medical term but it is quite common.</p>
<p>I had cataract surgery 1.5 years ago. I think I have similar issues like your mom. In the first 10 months I went through 3 prescriptions. When my eyes continued to change, the optometrist looked more closely and said I had a film growing on my new lens and needed to go back to the ophthamologist to have the film lasered off. It stabilized over the summer, but with the fall and drier weather, my right eye got bad enough that I really couldn’t see out of it.</p>
<p>If you have read my previous cataract posts, I am a terrible eye-phobic. It took me 2 months to make an appointment and I actually got through the procedure. It was very fast and my eye was numb with the numbing drops so it did not hurt. However, the stress took its toll and I nearly fainted when it was done. </p>
<p>Now I think my left eye needs the same procedure although it is not as bad. It will probably take me until January or February to make the appointment. I will say that my “new” eye feels like I do not have something in it like a contact and the white arcs of light are not as prominent on the periphery. Besides the improved vision, these are wonderful changes.</p>
<p>My initial vision was great for distance, but over time some of my astigmatism has returned so the sharp vision I had for distance will not return, and I will always need glasses for reading. The new lenses for the cataracts corrected for distance and I love how well I can see without glasses. However, I can’t see anything well that is 3 feet or closer.</p>
<p>Have your mom go back to the cataract surgeon. This film is a common side effect of the surgery.</p>
<p>Wow, I have never heard of this - but several of you have experienced. Will urge her to do do asap. She keeps saying there is nothing more that can be done - without having any factual basis for saying so.</p>
<p>Just want to thank everyone who posted regarding a film developing after cateract surgery. I did convince my Mom to return to her eye surgeon - he did see something - and she is scheduled for a laser surgery procedure in 2 weeks. Hoping it restores her vision to where she was right after the original surgery. </p>