What causes eye swelling and redness post-cataract surgery?
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
My mother is 67 years old and underwent cataract surgery a month ago. The surgery went well, and she was on home care for one month. For a month, I administered all the drops as advised by the doctor. I took my mother to the doctor for a check-up one month after cataract surgery. A drop was given to her for the other eye, and she underwent a scan. We have consulted the doctor. He said everything was fine, and she could resume her normal life. We had returned home, and all was fine. But since yesterday morning, my mother's eyes have turned mild red. There is mild swelling also. The doctor told me that there was a mild blood clot that should get cleared and that there was nothing to worry about. He also asked to continue the eye drops for a month. I want to know why her eyes appear red after surgery. There is no pain, and vision is also fine. I am very worried.
Kindly help.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I have seen your reports (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity), but unfortunately, the photo of the eyes is too blurry to appreciate. I can only note that the eyes look congested, but I cannot appreciate the blood clot that the doctor has said she has. However, I did notice that her eyes looked watery. She might have developed infective conjunctivitis in both eyes. Suppose she develops a yellowish discharge, which would mean bacterial conjunctivitis and require antibiotic eye drops. If possible, resend a photo of her eyes separately.
I suggest she take Ocurest-AH (Phenylephrine, Menthol, Naphazoline, Camphor, and Chlorpheniramine) eye drops four times a day for five days. Consult a specialist doctor, discuss with them, and take medications with their consent.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out in case of further queries.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Thank you doctor for the reply,
Cataract surgery was performed for both of her eyes. I have attached new pictures of the eyes separately for your reference. I had given her LOC tears (one drop) and Vigamox (one drop) two hours before. Is this a serious issue?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
The pictures (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity) were much clearer, and I still did not see any blood clot on the conjunctiva. So this does not appear to be a serious issue. Even the congestion does not look too bad compared to the earlier pictures. I have noted that you instilled eye drops today. This will help only if this is due to an allergic reaction to the medication they used during yesterday's examination. It is contraindicated if it is a viral or bacterial infection. She might feel better after using the eye drops for a while. But if there is an infection, it might flare up tomorrow. Do not use Vigamox (Moxifloxacin) eye drops unless an ophthalmologist prescribes them, as they contain a steroid. We can only come to a definitive diagnosis after a close examination using a slit lamp microscope. But for now, it does not look serious. If the situation worsens in the next 48 hrs, you can return to the ophthalmologist.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out in case of further queries.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I had initially contacted you regarding my mother for redness in both eyes post-cataract surgery. The redness has gone completely, but my mother is complaining of a new issue. My mother is saying that she sees or feels small black dots that are moving everywhere whenever she sees things. She is saying that it is like seeing a bunch of mosquitoes or bees flying around. This issue occurs mainly when white-coloured objects are seen. There are no issues with eyesight. She can see things clearly, without pain in her eyes.
Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Hope you are well. I am glad the redness is gone. The black dots could be either of two things. She might have had a low-grade postoperative inflammation that has caused cell deposits on the intraocular lens. The floaters might be in the back of the eye in the vitreous chamber. The vitreous gel is attached to different parts of the retina and the disc. Sometimes with age, these attachment areas can give way, which is called a vitreous detachment. This can be associated with floaters or flashes. Ask her to close each eye separately and look at a white wall to figure out which eye has the floaters (black dots). First, she has to fix one spot on the wall. Then ask her if the dots are moving. If they are not, it is probably because of the deposit on the lens. If the dots move without eye movements, they are in the vitreous cavity. If you feel the dots are moving, she should meet with an ophthalmologist again and get a dilated eye examination. Floaters are common, especially as we age, as the vitreous degenerates and the fibrous elements separate from the fluid part. It is possible that it was already there, but now she has noticed it because she has been concerned about her eyes following the surgery. These dots appear more pronounced in bright light and when looking at bright surfaces.
I hope this helps.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I have performed the tests that you asked for. Mother is saying the floaters are moving around without moving her eyes, which is happening to both her eyes. I visited a doctor one week back for the same issue, where her cataract was performed one and a half months ago. The doctor dilated both her eyes, checked with a magnifying glass, said there were no issues with the nerves or pupil or the eyes, and told her that the floaters would go away on their own. And also did not give any drops for this issue.
Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
It is good that everything was fine on the recent exam. That means the floaters were due to age-related vitreous degeneration, which I mentioned earlier. It is quite common as we age. If that is the case, the floaters as such would not disappear. She should gradually learn to ignore it. There are no particular medications for floaters. Antioxidant vitamins found in fruits and vegetables will help reduce the progression of the degenerative process. Let her get an eye examination done again after six months.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out in case of further queries.
Thank you.
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