#1 ·
Hey everyone. I’ve been lurking here for a long time, basically hoping I could learn something from other people who’ve had surgery, or maybe just waiting for Trebor to chime in about the specific mess I’m dealing with. But at this point, I don't really have a choice—I have to ask.
I had surgery about seven months ago at the Mayo Clinic in New York City. It was a mitral valve repair with a ring replacement. Everything went smoothly at first—I was already up on my feet by the second day and was discharged by the sixth. But ever since the operation, my eyes have been giving me constant trouble. Sometimes I lose vision entirely, but usually, it’s more like the picture is just jumping or flickering. These episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to forty minutes, and honestly, it’s terrifying... I never get any warning signs beforehand. It’s pretty creepy because I’m starting to feel like I’m becoming disabled. I can’t even cross the street without guessing what color the traffic light is, I definitely won't get behind a wheel because I don't want to kill anyone, and I can't even make it through a workday...
I’ve been bouncing from doctor to doctor for months now, and if anything, I seem to know less than when I started. Not that I actually understand 😕
The Carotid arteries were re-evaluated after the surgery, and apparently there's coiling in the left ICA and some double kinking in the right one, which has dilated to 8.5mm (something they didn't see before the procedure)
Could non-pulsatile blood flow be causing this????
Is it microemboli traveling to the occipital region? Or is it because I have to stay on anticoagulants for life and my INR levels fluctuate? (They decided this after they called off a carotid procedure when they switched me back to oral anticoagulants—my INR hit 2.75, and for the first time in four days after surgery, my vision was actually fine)
When I finally asked, "Surely I'm not the first patient you've seen with these issues?" the response was just—"Of course not." And that was it. Nothing else. Just a shrug. 😁
Help—what is happening to me?
I had surgery about seven months ago at the Mayo Clinic in New York City. It was a mitral valve repair with a ring replacement. Everything went smoothly at first—I was already up on my feet by the second day and was discharged by the sixth. But ever since the operation, my eyes have been giving me constant trouble. Sometimes I lose vision entirely, but usually, it’s more like the picture is just jumping or flickering. These episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to forty minutes, and honestly, it’s terrifying... I never get any warning signs beforehand. It’s pretty creepy because I’m starting to feel like I’m becoming disabled. I can’t even cross the street without guessing what color the traffic light is, I definitely won't get behind a wheel because I don't want to kill anyone, and I can't even make it through a workday...
I’ve been bouncing from doctor to doctor for months now, and if anything, I seem to know less than when I started. Not that I actually understand 😕
The Carotid arteries were re-evaluated after the surgery, and apparently there's coiling in the left ICA and some double kinking in the right one, which has dilated to 8.5mm (something they didn't see before the procedure)
Could non-pulsatile blood flow be causing this????
Is it microemboli traveling to the occipital region? Or is it because I have to stay on anticoagulants for life and my INR levels fluctuate? (They decided this after they called off a carotid procedure when they switched me back to oral anticoagulants—my INR hit 2.75, and for the first time in four days after surgery, my vision was actually fine)
When I finally asked, "Surely I'm not the first patient you've seen with these issues?" the response was just—"Of course not." And that was it. Nothing else. Just a shrug. 😁
Help—what is happening to me?