Will my double vision/diplopia heal?

[RayScott_02]

Early February I got hit in the eye at cheerleading practice. The weekend I went in for emergency eye surgery because my right orbital floor fracture. I’m aware that double vision is common after this injury but after a month I don’t notice any improvement.
Things that are close have minimal double but when things are far away, it’s a split screen. It’s a vertical overlap but it’s sometimes slightly to the side. Additionally, my right eye (previously 20/20 vision) seems very hazy, and it sees colors more dull like. When things are moving fast, like in a car, my right eye sees the road as fast moving grains of color.
I’ve been using an eye patch to help. My surgeon is sending me to another specialist because he believes that I may need muscle surgery.
Is my eye likely to heal on it’s on? Will the surgery help? My current doctor said he’s not confident that it will. Is what I’m seeing normal? I hear stories about double vision but not about color and grainy images which is what confuses me.
Thank you for the help in advance

[JohnHaganMD]

First of the treatment of orbital floor fractures is controversial. Plastic surgeons operate on most all of them,  ENT less and fewest Eye MD ophthalmologists. Why is that? because Eye MDs have found that most clear WITHOUT surgery in 6-12 weeks.  So who has the most double vision 4-6 months after surgery?  that is the ones managed by the plastic surgeons and the least double vision are those managed by ophthalmologists.  Most of us eye surgeons believe the plastic surgeons are too aggressive and do too much surgery.  and what do they do? If the patient still has double vision they send them to an ophthalmologist. Was your surgeon a plastic surgeon, ENT or ophthalmologist.

The type of eye MD you need is called a strabismus specialst/pediatric ophthalmologist.  Often the double vision will clear over time without additional surgery.  ALSO the most serious thing about an orbital fracture and often overlooked by plastic surgeons IS THE EYE INJURED. Only an ophthalmologist can tell that.  So the key point is is your surgeon plastic? ENT or Eye MD ophthalmologist?

[RayScott_02]

Yes he was a plastic surgeon and is going to refer me to a pediatric  ophthalmologist. If the eye is damaged, what can be done about it?

[JohnHaganMD]

1. The plastic surgeon should have referred you to an ophthalmologist at the time of the injury.  2. Can't answer your second question as there are too many possible types of injuries.  Any eye with a blow out fracture needs to be seen by an ophthalmologist, the eye examined with the pupil dilated with special eye equipment to see of damage.   You might ask your plastic surgeon why he/she didn't do that.