Is double vision normal after tube shunt surgery?

What's normal

The plate of a tube shunt is stitched to the wall of the eye between the muscles that move it, so the muscles can be affected. The American Academy of Ophthalmology lists double vision among the potential complications of a glaucoma drainage implant, and BrightFocus Foundation says double vision can occur with some types of implants. EyeWiki lists strabismus, meaning eye misalignment, among the late complications, and says diplopia after drainage device placement can be difficult to treat, particularly with implants placed in the lower part of the eye.

Some people notice double vision only when looking far in one direction and not when looking straight ahead. Some early double vision is from swelling around the plate and improves as the swelling settles over the first weeks.

Often noticed in the first weeks as swelling settles. Some resolves, some persists and needs specialist assessment.

When it stops being normal

Report any double vision to your surgeon, even if it seems mild or only happens in certain gaze positions. It is not something to wait out on your own, because the management options are better when the problem is documented early.

Get seen urgently if double vision arrives suddenly along with pain, a red eye, a drooping eyelid, or a headache. And do not drive while you are seeing double.