Since my aortic valve surgery last June, I am experiencing ocular migraine flashes and "shooting star" flashes in the eyes. Has anyone else experienced this? ...Read more
Since my aortic valve surgery last June, I am experiencing ocular migraine flashes and "shooting star" flashes in the eyes. Has anyone else experienced this? Both the cardiologist and optometrist have no explanation. Another thing: my sternum still is quite sensitive. The seat belt across the chest hurts. Any comments?
Pamela Gregory I am 4 1/2 months out and do see “shooting stars”occasionally. It is inconsistent when it happens ... Read more
Pamela Gregory I am 4 1/2 months out and do see “shooting stars”occasionally. It is inconsistent when it happens but has gotten better than it was?
Rose Madura I've had floaters off and on all my life. I recently saw my eye doctor and he gave it this explanat... Read more
Rose Madura I've had floaters off and on all my life. I recently saw my eye doctor and he gave it this explanation...caused by the vitreous (jelly like substance) that liqufies when we age. That doesn't explain why I had them as a child and throughout my life. Sometimes after surgery, I think we are super vigilant to everything going on but there were many others in this site that have had the same experience as you. Mine keep happening but maybe not as often. Sorry, I'm trying to help but feel I'm not helping at all. At least you know that you aren't alone in this...
Ana Brusso It has been discussed here on this site how OHS affect the vision in different ways. Nobody knows why ... Read more
Ana Brusso It has been discussed here on this site how OHS affect the vision in different ways. Nobody knows why. Maybe the heart/ lung machine or the anesthesia, not really know. I get the “shooting stars” sometimes still. Rose is right, you are not alone on this.
Jim Moody Not having had OHS myself not sure but have suffered Ocular Migraines and stars for years. Internal M ... Read more
Jim Moody Not having had OHS myself not sure but have suffered Ocular Migraines and stars for years. Internal Med doc and Opthamalagist have know idea other than they seemed to think it was sinus related. My wife has had her chest cracked twice 2017 and 19 going for the 3rd in Cleveland. She's hoping this time they get her closed up and healed without constant uncomfortable chest popping and movement. She swears her sternum is still shifting around. Doctors say it looks good on x ray.
Neal Syverson I started having frequent occular migraines and shooting stars in ICU. One year later I still have t ... Read more
Neal Syverson I started having frequent occular migraines and shooting stars in ICU. One year later I still have the migraines a few times a week and the stars many times a day. I wish I knew why. I wonder if they will ever go away.
Marie Myers I had dozens of daily auras (zig zag lines, bright flickering lights) in the days and weeks following ... Read more
Marie Myers I had dozens of daily auras (zig zag lines, bright flickering lights) in the days and weeks following my surgery. I had migraines with auras as a teenager, so I was familiar with them. None of my docs were familiar with this phenomena after heart surgery either. My auras lessened with time, and now I am back to having them just occasionally. Thank God I don’t get the headaches or nausea that I had as a teen. I think it is a reaction of the body to the stress of the whole heart surgery experience. As Ana says, you are not alone.
Pamela Gregory They sell velcro on pads for your seatbelt that make me more comfortable on Amazon
Shelly Hubbard I have not had OHS yet but I do get migraines with the lights flashing. It must link to my bicuspid s ... Read more
Shelly Hubbard I have not had OHS yet but I do get migraines with the lights flashing. It must link to my bicuspid since a lot of you here experience the same? I never understood why I was getting this.
Klara Čičić I had ocular migrains (auras) without the headache on a daily basis after the surgery. As the time go ... Read more
Klara Čičić I had ocular migrains (auras) without the headache on a daily basis after the surgery. As the time goes by I have it less and less. Now, once every month or two. It took ophthalmologist/neurologist time and lot of diagnostic tests to figure out what it is as aura without the pain is not very common. I live with it knowing what it is and that it is benign.
Herb Greenberg I was getting a ton of ocular migraines for years pre-surgery. The cardiologist at CC said his theory ... Read more
Herb Greenberg I was getting a ton of ocular migraines for years pre-surgery. The cardiologist at CC said his theory was that tiny pieces of calcium were breaking off, and doing their thing (nothing enough to cause a "Houston, we have a problem" type of situation. Now, 3 years post surgery, I get the lightning bolts every now and then... often while exercising looking at my phone while walking up hills). Nowhere near as often as in the year prior to surgery , when the frequency had increased.
Alex Sagan Auras are side-effect of at least one common medication given after heart surgery.
Greg Lewis If your sternum wires are sensitive, you may need to put a bit of weight on. Mine were really sensit ... Read more
Greg Lewis If your sternum wires are sensitive, you may need to put a bit of weight on. Mine were really sensitive until I put a bit of fat on, then they stopped hurting. ( it's just the stopping that's a problem.. lol)
Alex Sagan Greg, why do you think putting on weight helped? Also, I am just 7 weeks post-op—how can I tell if ... Read more
Alex Sagan Greg, why do you think putting on weight helped? Also, I am just 7 weeks post-op—how can I tell if chest soreness is the wires?
Greg Lewis I think not having the wires so close to the surface, has reduced the sensitivity, greatly. The surge ... Read more
Greg Lewis I think not having the wires so close to the surface, has reduced the sensitivity, greatly. The surgeons I saw about my epicardial wires being so close to surface agreed that some fat helped those, and also the sternum wires. Now, I was pretty skinny, having lost 40 pounds from surgery, taking me to around 150. If I just barely touched the wire area it would hurt. Not so much, with a bit more weight. I also have some pec/chest soreness that they say has nothing to do with the wires. But this is approaching 2 yrs post op. You are only 7 weeks out. I would give it time. Remember that it is quite a trauma to your chest wall. ..But they can do a sternum x-ray to see if the wires are causing a problem. Also CT scan, I believe.
Greg Lewis BTW, the seat belt stopped bothering me also.
Alex Sagan Greg, thanks. I am also at 150lbs, but that not much less than pre-op. I was told one sternal wire is ... Read more
Alex Sagan Greg, thanks. I am also at 150lbs, but that not much less than pre-op. I was told one sternal wire is broken (and I saw it on a. X-ray) but they claimed it will be okay. Right now I would say the chest soreness is still overall soreness, and I do not *think* I am experiencing sternal wire pain. Chest pain is still significant but seems to be diminishing as the weeks pass. Would love to be able to do push-ups again.
Greg Lewis I wonder why they don't remove the broken wire? 🤔
I am from: Broken Arrow, OK
I also have some pec/chest soreness that they say has nothing to do with the wires. But this is approaching 2 yrs post op. You are only 7 weeks out. I would give it time. Remember that it is quite a trauma to your chest wall. ..But they can do a sternum x-ray to see if the wires are causing a problem. Also CT scan, I believe.