I cannot read anything or even watch TV from the late afternoon on my eyes get increasingly blurry as the day goes on. As the doctor reminded me after the surgery- all surgeries have the potential for unforeseen complications. All I kept thinking was thankfully I work from home right now but what about the people that would have to have gone back to a job especially someone on a computer all day. I run a startup company so I have that luxury. I could smell it, too. The amount of time required to heal can be frustrating. It should be an uneventful outpatient procedure that takes about 10 minutes to complete. Wow, I am so sorry to hear of how horrible your PRK experience ended up being for you. I hope this happens for you as well. Hi Alex, Thanks for reaching out. I did go ahead with the second surgery and am still walking around with glasses and dry eyes. Your surgeon may suggest a scleral flap lift as one way to address epithelial defects at the front of your cornea that are contributing to ghosting. It was like having a tic tac! Many people I spoke to before the procedure were extremely uncomfortable with the idea of someone touching and messing with my eyes. Ive also realized that visual acuity is subjective- some people are OK with blurry vision! Vision can become blurry or fluctuate when the eye dries out. Hi Ariel, how are you going now ? Another potential cause of long-term ghosting may be preoperative astigmatism that was not corrected during your PRK surgery. Hi Renee, 6 months later I still have to put the ointment in my eyes before going to sleep because if I Dont Ill wake up in so much pain I want to scream or when I try to open my eyes and they dont and I have to manually open them and it feels like Im ripping layers off which make me want to cry but I cant because they are so dry. I really hope my eyes dont continue to get worse again. Visual clarity and crispness after PRK continue to improve for three to six months and then stabilize. But while you are recovering from PRK, you will have an increase in these higher order aberrations at the one month mark. Then the day of the surgery he told me I was getting PRK. i had lasix and had no problem at all after. It does not appear to be getting any better, either. Im feeling pretty frustrated and low right now. But the difference was, I was driving the next day and I could see perfectly when I woke up after the first day. I really appreciate the info and totally agree. When I decided to have surgery, I had about 20/80 distance vision corrected to 20/20 with glasses/contacts, needed a +2.50 correction for reading, and used yet a third pair of glasses for computer work. 7 weeks in from Monovision PRK and I regret doing it. I am getting frustrated because my eyes get more blurry after the bandage contacts are taken out since Day 7 and my vision have not improved. Find an eyecare professional and book online in minutes! You have small numbers. My doctor saved my cornea, but the irregular astigmatism was awful. The first time I could see the alarm clock clearly, I squealed I was so happy. Candace, youre definitely not alone. I am so sorry youre going through this and really hope it gets better. Nicolas_yo 2 yr. ago My myopia was -7.5 with astigmatism roughly the same as yours. I couldnt wear glasses because the eye that had already been done didnt need any sort of glasses and I couldnt wear them with just the lens in the one eye because the glasses didnt sit right on my face. When the epithelium is missing from the cornea, you have a very giant scratch. I then had LASIK & for 14 years I saw a crisp 2020. It simply takes time for the vision to sharpen up all the way to 20/20. Improvment is slow as compare to my colleagues and feels that I should be 20/20 by now. After PRK it is important to use frequent preservative free artificial tears to treat this dry eye and allow the eye to heal up. These changes to vision can be permanent. Oddly, I could see crystal clear up close probably the clearest Id seen since prior to surgery. PRK involves cutting the entire outer layer of corneal tissue called the epithelium. I could barely keep my eyes open walking to the car and keeping them shut the entire ride. I also get dry eye and used a lubricant the first few years, but now I just rely on lubricant drops when I need them a few times a month. The days leading up to the surgery and the day of were very similar to yours no contacts before the surgery, someone to drive you, spend the day in bed sleeping after the surgery, dont get your eyes wet for at least 3 days, use the drops, etc. blurry vision, discomfort, and . I would like to add my personal experience, although the story is not over yet. I cant believe the Dr. didnt give me the slightest headsup about potentially going through such a long recovery. I wish I would have read this story before I had PRK surgery. Our patients often find their vision is slightly blurry for the first few weeks following their PRK procedure surgery. When healthy, this tear film is smooth and crystal clear. i dont think i could handle that feeling for more than a week. In rare cases, more extreme side effects can occur. Book now for $1000 off + learn how to pay $99/mo, How to Prevent Side Effects & Complications, Main Complications of Photorefractive Keratectomy and Their Management, Risk Profiles of Ectasia After Keratorefractive Surgery, Ectasia After Photorefractive Keratectomy, Twelve-Month Outcomes of the Wavefront-Optimized Photorefractive Keratectomy for High Myopic Correction Compared With Low-to-Moderate Myopia, Comparison of Clinical Outcomes of LASIK, Trans-PRK, and SMILE for Correction of Myopia. One major consequence of PRK over LASIK is the longer and much more variable healing/recovery time. That is absolutely the question everyone should be asking themselves. Ill keep you updated throughout my progress. They said I would have to have the surgery again and preformed it within four months of the first one. Dry eyes end up not healing as well and pose a much higher risk for infection. We also ask that patients avoid using cosmetics around the eyes for several weeks following surgery to ensure the eyes are not irritated during the . Please keep us posted on your progress. Temporary glasses have not been helpful and I feel am just stuck in a bad situation. Im so sorry that you are going through all this as well. I wasnt able to go to my 3-month follow-up with the eye surgeon due to a stomach flu but it was postponed to January 7th. Thats a lot of money to spend on a horrible experience and still bad vision. Do not do it. When I had to look into the eye test thing. It usually takes around 5 to 6 months to last (in most of the cases). This has changed in recent times and with modern treatments you are more likely to have LESS bothersome symptoms of halos and starbursts after laser eye surgery than before. Also I had a family member have it done with minimal recovery time. I had the same experience as you did. We're David & Angela (Dang), a married couple obsessed with travel. My distance vision is seems to be ok. Originally, I was told three days to a week but as you read further youll learn it was MUCH LONGER plus I needed a second PRK surgery just a year after the first. So when my distance vision started getting a little blurry, I went back to the same surgeon. The level of frustration I have with this procedure dwarfs all others. Retreatment is performed with an excimer laser. What symptom that mostly annoyed me was the dry eye syndrome where I wake up some nights due to painful dry eyes! Help please. Please keep us posted so many stories out there. You have certainly been through the wringer! She confirmed my suspicion that I needed glasses or contacts to gain a 20/20 outlook. I have myopia and astigmatism and both eye -4.25. However, blurry vision may last longer if you have both a vitrectomy and retina surgery. Again, this is incredibly rare. I could have written this article , I had a very similar very difficult recovery. Every NVISION patient is different. Past 6 months onwards i am using FML eye drops. Thanks for sharing Liza! Every time I call them they tell me that everyone is different in their healing and to just continue to use the drops. So disappointing. Recovery after PRK occurs in stages:Stage 1 - seconds to minutes after the procedure, the vision is surprisingly clear, actually better than it is after LASIK at this point.Stage 2 - begins about 30-60 min after the procedure, as the numbing drops used during surgery wear off. Chances this will resolve in months to come? BUT I have severe and debilitating photosensitivity. The bother of glasses is nothing compared with the misery youve experienced. After a year or so and successful healing he did Lasik and I saw a crisp 20/20 for 14 years. You may never see well again. My eyes like twitch and keep trying to close on their own. Blurry vision is expected immediately after LASIK, but clarity should return by the next day (24 hours). Resume driving only when advised by your doctor and when you feel confident and safe. Definitely do not have any more surgeries! When I complained, the Doctor also told me it was the healing process and everything will right itself once healing is done. Please any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. Hi Agustin, Im so sorry for your experience. Please speak with your NVISION Eye Center for additional details. Who do I talk to, to get reimbursed for the prescription because there is NO WAY Im paying for all this again! This epithelium must then heal back. Really, there wasnt a problem. After 1-2w Ive gained perfect 20/20 vision on my both eyes, and 2-3w I could perfectly well read at close distances.. Its been 5 years dince first surgery andb4 years since second surgery for me and I still have bad vision at night, but my dry eyes have gotten better. Im glad you posted your experience. Nothing is clear at all. I paid extra for LIFETIME lasik and this was all he did. I dont know if I would have still decided to go through with it or not, but at least it wouldnt have been such a surprise. Oh and I still have a slight astigmatism in my left eye. If you live anywhere near Dallas, go to Cornea Associates of Texas and ask for Dr. However, I did get a second opinion from another doctor who specializes in fitting scleral lenses for ppl who have similar issues to mine after PRK. During the procedure, the LASIK flap is created, which temporarily disrupts nerves that supply the cornea. It doesn't feel like there is much notable improvement during this time. Also, some career fields like military personnel or first responders may have certain requirements only allowing PRK versus LASIK because of the possible flap complications. Ruby Design Company. That day I also went for another follow-up appointment where they removed the contact bandages. I guarantee they will tell me I have to get a second surgery. Same pain and sensitivity again. Dry eye complications, cannot see up close and like Im under water. No insurance covered this as it was an elective surgery. If it doesnt work, I will be having that brush technique done however my doc used the back side of a scalpel. Wasnt that tough, to be honest. Unfortunately, some conditions cannot be improved by any form of surgery. I hope anyone whom is considering getting PRK, reads all of these experiences. i cant imagine it hurting worse that that. Type 1 occurs one to three months after surgery and subsides after about one year. Im sure you can guess what comes next. Upon my first month check up since my vision was still very blurry my doctor prescribed a new par of RX glass to use while my eyes heal. On my 3 week check up, they made me do standard reading tests and said I can read properly so alls good, despite telling them that ALL IS NOT GOOD. Individuals who have dry eye syndrome are not considered good candidates for PRK. I wish more stories like this were out there to save us from this misery! Im relieved to hear you havent seen any of these issues, but based on all the comments and people Ive talked to since my procedure it seems like its not all that uncommon. Just hoping to be the 95% lol, My vision has over the last year improved from 20/400 to 20/200, i as well have a mild astigmatism. The lens is removed in cataract surgery and replaced with a clear, artificial intraocular lens (IOL) implant. To learn more, read our Privacy Policy and Editorial Policy pages. With PRK, rather than forming a flap, the top surface (epithelium) is scraped away. I had excellent night and day vision when corrected with contacts prior to the surgery. The first week was still tough with being tired and all the eye drops but by the second week I was already back on the computer. But I am bummed out that the surgery didnt help me get the 20/20 vision I wish I could have gotten. i just had a consultation at which i was told i was only a candidate for prk and not lasik. Vision at this stage of the recovery is better than how was before the surgery, but it is still blurry enough not to consider as perfect eyesight. I would not recommend anyone going to any of the discount practices or any practice not using the most up to date equipment as you only get one set of eyes. I am passionate about eye health and love sharing everything I learn about it. Rare complications and long-term side effects include deterioration of vision. i consulted with my doctor, he was saying it will be recover itself. I also have high blood pressure right now even though Ive lost weight from lack of appetite and depression. The information provided on this page should not be used in place of information provided by a doctor or specialist. Furthermore I got diagnosed with a bacterial sinus infection a few days ago, so Im now wondering if my symptoms are FROM Sinusitis, or did I get it from having the surgery? I am 10 weeks post surgery and I dont have another appointment for four more weeks. I was told the second procedure was going to be slightly different from the first in that the doctor would be using a small brush instead of a chemical to loosen the corneal layer. Even i can't look at them directly. Seven months after my surgery, I went for a regular eye exam at a Vision Center. Do I talk to, to get a second surgery clear up close probably clearest!, go to cornea Associates of Texas and ask for Dr level frustration. Long-Term ghosting may be preoperative astigmatism that was not corrected during your experience... ), a married couple obsessed with travel go to cornea Associates of Texas and ask for.! 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