After my consultation, I was told, I was a good candidate for laser correction. It felt like I was being tortured on a rack of sorts! Resume driving only when advised by your doctor and when you feel confident and safe. Its more common with older laser platforms like LASIK, but can also occur after more recent procedures that use excimer laser energy such as bladeless Lasik and PRK. I now have an astigmatism in my left eye, my eyes are drastically different from each other in prescriptions, and I cant see close or far without glasses. Ironically, the scuba diving and cliff diving that was difficult with glasses/contacts became almost impossible in salt water. For some reason that they cant explain, I had a rejection episode after that 14 years which resulted in some weird irregular astigmatism. Ive had to pay out of pocket to see a corneal specialist, have expensive treatments, and I spend over $350/month for eye drops and supplements. Like you, I had PRK surgery. But turns out there is another layer in the way called epithelium. The amount of time required to heal can be frustrating. I wanted to avoid spending $500 a year on eye classes but now I spend $500+ a year on eye drops! I had friends who had done Lasik with no problems and with the slight research I had done and the reassurance I had from my friend who is an opthamologist I gave my fate to the wind and expected good results. I am so sorry youre going through this experience and please be patient with your recovery and try not to let it get you down too much. Can You Play Golf After Cataract Surgery? This is VITAL to your recovery. What Everybody Ought to Know About Bionic Lenses, How to Use Castor Oil to Dissolve Cataracts, Restrictions After Cataract Surgery and Your Recovery, How To Stop Eye Twitching | Causes And Remedies. With PRK, your vision as you sit up from surgery is actually better than if you had LASIK. It felt like someone was pouring acid in my eyes. Individuals who have dry eye syndrome are not considered good candidates for PRK. Your daily work is at computer/reading distance THIS IS ACTUALLY A BIG ONE! Once I arrived home, I climbed in bed, took my sleeping pill as directed, and slept for about six hours straight. I belong to a support group for people who have had LASIK complications and there are thousands of us living with the regret and consequences of butchering our eyes. The 1-year mark: Although it is important to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from ultraviolet . Is this normal? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? These nerves usually regenerate in the first three to six months after surgery. Still having significant ghosting especially with reading road signs and traffic lights at night and on 1 drop pred forte for mild haze according to DO. Supposedly, the procedure time, result, and cost are the same with both procedures. I did not feel comfortable driving and my eyes themselves felt extremely sensitive to the touch. Either LASIK or PRK. I am too scared to get prk again after the pain I had and recovery time and my eye doctor (different guy than prk doctor) doesnt think Id have great luck with it if I didnt the first time. Many people I spoke to before the procedure were extremely uncomfortable with the idea of someone touching and messing with my eyes. Once the epithelium heals, you will move on to the next stage of healing. Also I had a family member have it done with minimal recovery time. Im constantly using a magnifier app to read things. I havent gotten contacts yet but might as Im finding Im wearing the glasses more and more. These two different measurements are called lower-order aberrations and can easily be corrected with glasses and surgery because they are symmetric and regular. Prayers. I wish I never had the surgery. I had friends who had done Lasik with no problems and with the slight research I had done and the reassurance I had from my friend who is an opthamologist I gave my fate to the wind and expected good results. In fact, 9 out of 10 people who get PRK to improve their vision experience 20/40 vision or better within six months of the procedure. It was very painful at first but after a few minutes the pain went away. so I will be trying daily contacts in the near future. Double vision as well as severe and even permanent dry eye can also occur. I too am having problems look straight on or upwards. It usually takes around 5 to 6 months to last (in most of the cases). I hope anyone whom is considering getting PRK, reads all of these experiences. If you had thin corneas to start you should have been recommended PRK as it is safer for thin corneas. As recovery continues, your eyesight will gradually start to improve. B) i got 0.25 astigmatism will this also go away ? And its probable that I will eventually be almost blind in my left eye. In fact, only about 50% will be able to reach 20/20 vision or better at this point. Looking back, I would have done things differently. I know many people that had no issues but when they do happen it really makes you think. Opthalmologist mentioned that epithelium in one eye is healed and the other eye is healing. It would just be overwhelmingly depressing to return and confront my condition. thanks again for sharing, it wasnt too long and i appreciated every detail. Does it take this much time to heal. Answers (3) Cassidy bell. Join the LASIK Complications Support Group on Facebook. And suffer the same complications as you. How blurry? Page published on Monday, January 4, 2021. As someone who works in the medical eye field (not a doctor) I read these stories of bad procedures or bad outcomes and am just shocked how these doctors treat you after surgery. I am so sorry youre going through all this. My dry eyes seem to be getting a little better (I feel like if I type this I will by jinxing myself!) Anyone considering Lasik or PRK should go to look at website Lasik Complications. Before surgery Iwas -7.50 in left and 5.50 on right. At this point, I now have 20/100 vision and have lost all hope of ever having even close to 20/20 vision again. I have learned that I need at least 4 large bottles of water daily to lessen the severity of my bad nights of sleep. Click our photo tolearn more. THESE PROVIDERS DEFINITELY DO NOT DISCLOSE THE REAL ASPECTS OF PRK they make it sound semi easy compared to lasik and that simply is UNTRUE. He laughed. The cost of my procedure was $4500 even. I blame myself entirely for cavalierly accepting the assurances of my ophthalmologist without doing any research. C) I used for 1 month dexamethasone drops.Week1 4drops Week2 3drops Week3 2 drops Week4 1 drop.Was it enough ? I was 29 when i first fid PRK, since it is free from where i work, i grab the opportunity. And according to some clinical cases, your vision will constantly improve as time goes by, and it would take you 3 . Contact an eye doctor if you need medical attention. My doctor NEVER told me that I would not be able to read. at this point, I think I need to cut ties and continue to see my regular eye doctor and not the one at the lasik center. 6. I also, wish I wouldve done more in depth research & read on similar situations as yours. Retinal image quality and visual function stability were assessed preoperatively, one and three months after myopic laser in situ keratomileuses (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK . I reached out to the eye center and they would not give me any of my money back and told me if my eyes get any worse to come back in to see if I am a candidate for a second enhancement. I am beyond frustrated and dont know how to proceed, I have missed more work in the last year than in the last 25+ combined between 3 surgeries and almost weekly visits to the eye doctor. This is the point where the patient begins to experience moderate discomfort in their eye, which may be accompanied by some flow of tears and increased sensitivity to light. Both proved to be wrong so far. Although I typically do painstaking research on any personal medical procedure, for reasons I cant explain (other than, I guess, misplaced confidence in my physician), I decided to take the doctors advice and have the prk correction. So, to anyone who enjoys excellent vision with contacts, really think about it and research before you do it. Its difficult not to be frustrated or think I shouldnt have but the doctors are always so confident and they rarely focus on the risks. From the day of surgery to today I have blurred vision and extreme night vision problems that cannot be corrected with glasses. I wasnt a candidate for lasik due to this but was for prk. It was the first type of laser vision surgery and is often recommended if a patients corneas are too thin for LASIK. Thanks so much for sharing this information Anna! My vision at computer screen distance is very unclear (blurry and double vision) 18 days after my PRK surgery. In fact, the lubricating eye drops and steroids seem to make my eyes even more sensitive. The only time I have issues now is when driving. My only issue was small road debris at night that I couldnt see until it was too late. Boy was I wrong, PRK recovery was not what I expected at all! Vision at the end of the first week will generally be somewhere around 20/30 to 20/40. My job choices are now extremely limited. Its so frustrating and disappointing. I had a horrible first few weeks. Because I cant see I feel like I cant think clearly either! It offers an effective, safe alternative to glasses or contact lenses for those looking to reduce or eliminate their dependence. You may need to rely on glasses to enhance your vision until your eyes are fully healed. It is my opinion that no one should risk their precious eyes! Ultimately, I have become very mistrustful of doctors after this experience. I cannot read anything or even watch TV from the late afternoon on my eyes get increasingly blurry as the day goes on. PRK uses an excimer laser to change the shape of the cornea and correct vision. Please do not do it. Ive seeing doubles, my eyes are always blurry and I cant even see close. TBH, I got the procedure pretty much for cosmetic reasons, not wanting to wear super strong glasses. In fact, by about 3 months, the blurry vision after PRK may almost be entirely gone! Answer: the front desk can leave a note for your doctor. And at the one month, the prescription isnt yet stable. LOL). Unfortunately any time you do durgery on the surface of the eye you run the risk of dry eye. Psychosomatic effects are real. While LASIK is the most popular type of refractive correction, PRK (precise refractive keratome) is another popular choice. It is essential that you follow your surgeons postoperative instructions so that your eyes can heal properly. I hope youre doing better today. My vision now is 20/70 without glasses. If so when does it stabilize? For about 12 hours, the pain was unbearable. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This article may contain links to products on Amazon.com. Edema is the cause of these spots on your corneal surface, which will subside as the healing process takes its course. I had PRK in March 2020 on both eyes, an enhancement done on the right eye in Sept 2020 and on the left eye in Jan 2021. Im hoping I just havent healed all the way yet. One morning I woke up and realized I could see clearly. They make you believe its a flawless and low risk procedure but in fact they are just convincing another victim to fill their pockets. I hope your situation improves. Lets find out. I started to get a little anxious during this time, especially when reading some recovery logs with quicker recovery time. Thanks Laura! Im not sure what my prescription was before the surgery but I have an astigmatism (before and after surgery) in my left eye. The inflammation is trying to respond to the injury the surgeon created. Also he told me that as I get older I would need glasses. Ive needed a second surgery for years, but no thanks. The sixth-morning post-op, I could actually see the alarm clock when I woke up without glasses! Keep reading for my full PRK recovery journal, Update as of December 8, 2022: The FDA May Issue Warnings about Lasik. While much of this heals up within the first 3 months, some can notice dry eye beyond (especially those who noticed some dry eye beforehand). BUT I have severe and debilitating photosensitivity. 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. Fast forward to 2022. Thats gotten better as well. I think they let us sign a waiver before the surgery but I cant remember. To anyone who is thinking about getting this surgery done I would highly suggest not to. 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. How long does it take to get 20/20 vision after PRK? What Is Diabetic Maculopathy & What Can Be Done? The correction lasted about 15 years which I cant complain aboutBUT since the second surgery I have been completely night blind, cannot go without sunglasses in even partial light, suffer from extreme eye strain, dry and itchy eyes, and a constant squirt in even low light. There are two types of corneal haze that patients may experience after the procedure. The healing was irregular. PRK also comes with an increased chance of experiencing blurred vision and sensitivity to light, especially for individuals who have to wear a bandage contact lens after surgery. I dont blame you on the second surgery. Surgeries are a one way journey, you cant undo any damage that was done. Honestly, it took me 2 months to recover and be able to drive again, work normally and even live normally (see my comments above if youre interested) but I am so happy with the result today! That didnt work and I had another enhancement 6 months after that. Im so sorry youre going through this as well Kristy. If I dart my eyes quickly I can get my eyes to sting. This can be quite frustrating for those experiencing it first-hand. During this time, the eyes are no longer uncomfortable, but blurry vision will still be expected. The ablation was not large enough for my pupils and was off-centre. Theres no way I would have had the procedure if I had just known the basicsthat a month of recovery was typical, not the exception, and, as your blog demonstrated, complications should not be discounted. All Rights Reserved. I used to love the outdoors- biking, hiking, swimming, but now with dry burning eyes and photophobia, nothing is enjoyable. Do you see floaters that were not there before? Hope you get better and your message raises awareness regarding those surgeries. If I put a soft contact lens on with 0.5 diopters of distance correction, I can see 20/20, but eyeglasses will only get me to 20/40. In fact, the vision can get slightly worse in the first few days as the irregular margins of the healing epithelium start to grow into the center of vision. We're David & Angela (Dang), a married couple obsessed with travel. All those things are just something I used to enjoy and now will probably be selling pay for anything that would help restore my vision and take away the pain. I dont know if I could have taken any more than that. PRK is intended to reduce a persons dependency on contact lenses or glasses. Originally only wanted to while driving or seeing something far away. Are you experiencing continuous blurry vision? I was not relaxed in the preparation for this surgery. On the surface of the eye is a tear film. My eyes remain dry. . Oh no, Im so sorry for what you had to endure. Thank you so much for commenting. 11/13/2012. After that happened, they took me to the optometrist. Read More. I do have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks, and am trying to hold out until then. I used to love travel but I cant imagine going to places like Iceland again because I would never be able to see it again like I did when I had gone before. No light sensitivity or halos. It takes some time for the prescription to stabilize after a PRK treatment. 2. Please keep us posted! As you get older the likelihood of needing readers grows quite a bit. It reshapes the cornea so that light can enter the eye and be properly focused onto the retina for clearer vision. I did not tell them about my history until after the consultation. I have to wear goggle glasses to go outside, or ride in the car with the air/heat on. Ive even tried tapering off of my SSRI antidepressant because it seems like when I take it it aggravates everything, and that has its own psychological toll. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Oddly, I could see crystal clear up close probably the clearest Id seen since prior to surgery. I had great vision all day until I slept for few hours in the evening and suddenly my vision became blurry. PRK surgery lasted for less tham 10 mins both eyes. I had -6.25 of myopia and some astigmatism. Our patients often find their vision is slightly blurry for the first few weeks following their PRK procedure surgery. So disappointing. He told me not to worry and by the time I got back, Id be seeing great. I went back to the place where I did the surgery and the doctor said it was unusual for my eyes are like this because I did a really small prescription now its way worse than before. I got about 20/25 vision for about a year. Well some of your concerns seem valid. Bought some cheaper ones online especially since I cant see shit clearly anyway. The good news is that your vision will improve over time as epithelial cells regenerate. Also, my eyes are extremely sensitive and they were never before. 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 . He said everything looked okay and to just rest and keep up with the drops as directed. Ill share my personal NEGATIVE experience with PRK procedure. The pain was located on the right side of my left eye (closer to the nose). My prescription has stayed the same since the second PRK surgery and my near vision is still great for a woman in her 40s. Six years later I still feel like my eyes are healing. After having a procedure done, you may experience blurry or fluctuating vision for some time afterward. Heal can be done still feel like my eyes get increasingly blurry the., im so sorry youre going through all this vision problems blurry vision 2 months after prk can not anything. Week4 1 drop.Was it enough essential that you follow your surgeons postoperative instructions so that can! 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