Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 3/23/2010

Question
I read with interest your answer to the person posting questions regarding blurry vision after surgery.  I, too, am experiencing this strange symptom and today is the fifth day after surgery.  I must admit the blurriness is starting to become worrisome.  Every day I came up with a different reason for things not being crisp, dirty glasses, bad lighting, etc., trying hard not to equate the symptom with the anesthesia.  
Today I put in new contacts and there is no more denying that my vision is definitely affected. This morning I also woke up at 3:00 with what feels like a golf ball of cotton in my throat. (have you ever heard of this?)  The anesthesia also caused nausea and continual vomitting (even with compazine) which lasted for 48 hours. I guess its safe to say that anesthesia doesn't agree with me at all :).  

I understand you don't feel the blurry vision is caused by the general anesthesia, nevertheless, I have read many posts online from patients with the same symptoms.  I've done a bit of research but can't seem to find out if my eyesight will correct within time, or where to look for the answers.  Do you have any suggestions?  Should I call my eyedoctor and perhaps get a different perscription for my glasses and contacts (or do you think I should give it more time?)  I can't read or sew and even watching our big screen television, everything is a bit blurry.  My vision with glasses and contacts was fine up to coming out of surgery.
Thank you so much for a reply.
P.S.  After reading everything I could find online, unusual long-term side effects and causes of general anesthesia would be a great subject of study for professional paper or thesis.

Answer
I still maintain that the anesthesia has nothing to do with continued blurry vision. There is nothing in anesthesia to cause that. For some reason, people take anything untoward that happens in the OR and ascribe it to anesthesia (from hair loss to dry skin, etc) and it doesn't make sense in any biological or physiological way. That being said, it is unusual for this to last as long as it has so I would recommend seeing an opthomologist and have your eyes evaluated to make sure something else is not going on.

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston