Blind after cataract surgery

by Debi H
(West Virginia)

I am 63 years old and recently had cataracts removed on both eyes. My right eye healed quickly and nicely. The "bad" eye, as the doctor called it, was my left eye. I never really got the complete vision in that eye like my first eye. I was having vision issues with the left eye and seen the doctor after hours on a Friday, 17 days post op. My vision had diminished and the diagnosis was corneal inflammation. He upped by dose of Prednisone to 4 times a day. I saw him the following Monday and things looked about the same. Five days later I had no vision in that eye and I was very sick and weak so I went to the ER in our very small town only to be whisked, via ambulance, 3 hours to WV Eye Institute in Morgantown, WV. I can say what I had to endure I would not wish on my worst enemy. Six doctors and at least 8 needles to the eye later I was told I had a horrible corneal infection. The bacteria turned out to be a VERY bad strain of Strep and after my Retinal Surgeon contacted the Infectious Disease office in Miami I was told I have only a 6% chance of vision returning to that eye. Right now we are hoping that the inflammation will dissipate on it's own and if not, I will need another surgery called a vitrectomy to clean out the eye.

No surgery is without risks, not even one as simple as cataract surgery. I had no idea that 3 weeks after entering the OR suite that I would be fighting a battle to regain sight in my eye.