Hi all
I'm recovering from cataract Implant surgery in my left eye, It''s been nearly a month since my surgery, I've found in the early morning that the light in the partial darkness of the bedroom is not an issue with my eye, but as some of you have already talked about bright light then I have to agree with you all.
In bright light I to have this flickering which comes from the left side of my periferal vision and then spreads from left to right and yes its very annoying, as I type this comment I'm having to shield the light with my left hand against the side of my face to somewhat stop the side dazzle it doesnt however stop the flicker when I move my eye left to right, when I'm looking straight forward I dont get the flicker.
I had a cataract operation and Implant in my right eye done about 7 years ago and cannot recollect having these flickering problems then ? my optician said its possible that the light reflection is coming from the implanted lens and radiating around, she said my eye needs time to settle. I hope as others have said that time is a great healer and that it eventually disappears on its own, as it is driving me nuts at present, perhaps using sunglasses with a side cover on might help me, well its something I'm going to try.
Hi Rady. I had cataract surgery three weeks ago and am experiencing exactly the symptoms you have described. Hard to live with; has yours improved at all? JSB
Yes, I had left-eye cataract surgery here in Canberra just 4 days ago, and I have since experienced pretty much the flickering vision that Rady describes.
There seems to be a lot of discussion on the Web about this condition -- stemming from patients rather than opthalmologists. I would seem that the experts really don't have a convincing explanation, and they tend to dismiss the problem rather than attempt to explain it. It could be a purely brain-related phenomenom, rather than physical cause, I have yet to read a convicning explanation.
Nevertheless, I am very happy with my much-improved vision, and the flickering problem does seem to be receeding somewhat. However, it was very noticeable in bright sunlight immediately after visiting my opthalmologist and having the dressing removed. I'll tackle him about this apparently common side effect in a few weeks when I next see him.
I'll be interested to see if he comes up with a plausibe explanation. Having experience the battery-hen environment he has worked in so far, I doubt he will bother to spend any time on an explanation, even if he has one. I could be pleasantly surprised, though!
There is indeed little on the net from consultants in the field, although I did find an article that indicated that specific lens size, edge & material contributed to the problem- viz: 6mm or less, square edge, acrylic rather than silicone. Which is mine. My consultant commented that I was 'one of his exceptional patients'- a disingenuous attempt to enhance the situation. He said he had no patients returning to complain of the problem after 6 months- as if to reassure me that mine too would be gone by then, but if i do still have the problem, I shall not return to him either, since I realise there is nothing more than can be done, surgically. I suspect it is a brain function problem; I am coping much better with it- bright sunshine still a problem, as is the feeling that I am looking through a keyhole, but wearing any spectacles helps - just by having a frame there seems to lull the brain into accepting the dark edge. But it would be very excellent if it did in fact disappear altogether, and I liver in hope.
Thanks for your input JSB. It initially crossed my mind that the saccadal flickering could be due to strong light entering the lens via a squared edge, and then experiencing multiple internal reflections. The flickering light appears to be originating from the left edge of the lens, and could well be alleviated by wearing horn-rimmed glasses -- a la the 1960s!!
I'll find out from the opthalmologist what type of lens he used -- that is, if he deigns to talk to one of his battery-hen patients.
Battery hen surgery sums it up; my consultant commented with some pride that he takes approx 6 minutes to do the job (correct in my case) But he linked this to apres-surgery problems, i.e., he maintained that prolonged procedures raise the likelihood of said problems. For which there is no evidence as far as i can see. I shall be interested to know your lens type- and indeed, whether your consultant has an opinion on this issue.Also, whether he has any evidence to support the belief that a patient who experiences dysphotopsia after one procedure is likely to have the same when the second eye is done. I only read this after the event; it is another reason for hesitating to have my right eye done, even though the present imbalance between the two is pesky.
"Disphotopsia" is the keyword here - positive disphotopsia. If you type that into Google you get any number of erudite article on the subject, e.g :-
http://www.eyeworld.org/article.php?sid=392&strict=
It would seem that IOL manufacterers are just beginning to pay sufficient attention to the phenomenon, and are having trouble comming to grips with it. Acrylic lenses with squared edges seem to be some of the culprits, but not all. It would seem the problem is purely one of physics, and optics in particular. Needs some focussed research by the look of it, preferably by someone with 20-20 vision.
I'm still experiencing dysphotopsia that can be annoying sometimes.
It seems that the problem is caused by light entering the lens via the squared-off edge, and reflecting internally within the lens. The solution could be as simple as the application of an opaque layer to the squared-off edge of the lens. Just a bit of opaque paint might do the job!! Something nothing really.
Opthalmologists don't seem to be concerned about it.
12/3/2014 Thanks Rady for starting this discussion! I had my first eye done 2 months ago and the second 2 weeks afterward. The bilateral peripheral flashers started just a week ago. I'm a year post-macular hole repair (right eye) and am at higher risk for retinal detachment. It was comforting to read your comments and those of other patients to discover flashers are not uncommon.
My IOLs are not square - and since I live in Florida USA I refer to their shape as "Hurricane" symbols 
Mine remain on both outside eye edges traveling from top to bottom - these I call shooting stars! These occur in any lighting situation. BTW, I just had one on the right that shot upward - that's a new spin! Think I'll name that one a spaceship launch.
Yes, they are annoying but more troubling is that their sudden appearance startles me and my balance is a bit wonky. I like your idea of coating the IOL edges with an opaque layer. Get a patent on that right away, OK?
Is this a good time to mention the #@$%& floaters?!?! Is anyone else swatting at gnats? 
Blessings to all who are following this forum!
Why on earth would anyone design a SQUARE IOL? Isn't that like putting a square peg in a round hole?
Re: light sensitivity. Every morning I'm am stunned by the brightness and my eyes literally close involuntarily! Of course sunglasses help but for me they just delay my getting accustomed to the light, which usually happens in a couple of hours. I hope that in the 4 months since you commented your troubles are resolving!
May I ask what "battery-hen" means?
Had surgery 2 days ago and I am experiencing a strobing effect that sounds similar. I spoke to my consultant and he said it's probably an optical edge effect that should disappear as the capsular bag shrinks. One point he made that I thought might be relevant to others here is that if it occurs only in low light it could be a sign that the retina is being pulled and could precurse retinal detachment
Had cataract surgery on my left eye 3 months ago, using a Trulign lens. Starting about day after surgery, could see clearly only at about 2 feet, not in the distance, TV distance, nor reading distance. Also had a number of visual aberrations, the most annoying, fluttering/flickering usually in the left side of my vision (almost a feeling of twitch inside my eye), most often accompanied by glare streaking in across my vision from the left, but sometimes from above. Sometimes the glare without the flutter. Other aberrations: halos, coronas and rays around bright objects in a dim environment, glare from oncoming headlights worse than from my right eye, which has not been operated on and still has a cataract.
At first doc said everything looked "perfect", but finally said he thought lens might have twisted, might be hanging up on one side. Suggested 2nd surgery to implant a stabilizing ring around the lens in hopes of correcting my problems. Had 2nd surgery 8 weeks ago. After things settled down again, nothing had changed, all the problems were still there. Doc has had me try various drops, a contact lens, which corrected my distant vision at the expense of closer distance. Nothing has really affected the aberrations and he doesn't have a good theory on what's causing all my troubles.
Seems a 3rd surgery to replace the lens with a mono lens, might be an option, but without really understanding what's going on, the doc and I are both reluctant to open up my eye again. Pretty discouraged, hoping somebody had similar situation and found an answer. TIA for any relevant response.
I am another similar patient. I had two standard cataract operations about a month ago and in one eye (left), near central in my visual field, there is, visible especially in the morning and shows best in bright light, a small defined window within which there is a flickering I would think about 10-20 hertz. No explanation or no recognition by the optometrist of this and this phenomenon doesnt seem to be included in standard definitions of dysphotopsia.
The optometrist had a good look inside my eye and all looked well apart from the floaters and dots (red blood cells?) that are suspended in my vitreous. These floaters and dots can be seen very well when one looks at things in a good compound microscope, they are seen as a reflection in ones own visual field.
A brief update. The flickering has practically disappeared for me 2 weeks later. I do see it very infrequently but I suspect my brain is filetring it out most of the time and I don't find it a problem at present.
How did it pan out for you? I read that floaters can be a sign of retinal detatchment so I hope that wasn't the issue.
Have you considered a second opinion? Surgery to correct an undiagnosed problem doesn't sound like a good idea to me (or you by the sound of it).
Thanks to you and peter37676 for responding.
Got 2nd opinion before I had the 2nd surgery that put in the ring. The 2nd opinion was,"wait longer maybe things will improved", now its 2+ mos and nothing has improved. Thought about getting yet anotehr opinion, but it turns out I've gone to the only 2 docs in the Seattle area that use the Trulign lens. Contacted another prominent doc's office, but becasue he doesn't use the Trulign, he didn't want to get involved.
Glad to hear your problem is diminishing.