Then the day of the surgery he told me I was getting PRK. There was a steroid drop, numbing drop, antibiotic drop, and artificial tears. My vision now is 20/70 without glasses. All About Vision does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. FlexOffers Affiliate Disclosure Dang Travelers also participates in the FlexOffers affiliate network and uses links within our content to earn a commission. My three month follow up appointment was a lot of the same responses from the doctor. As I sit to write this, it is almost three years to the day of my first PRK procedure at a vision center in Illinois. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20 (that expression is priceless in this scenario! I am literally considering suicide as an out from the pain. Drugs didnt seem to help much. Thanks for sharing your experience and recommendations Diman! Nice to know the truth, thanks. So disappointing. Beware if you have an astigmatism, and or strong prescription because you will need further adjusting which leaves more room for error. They say its because of dry eye, but before surgery I never experienced dry eye (probably used eye drops 3 times in my life before surgery, now 10+ times a day and 5+ times a night). I am so sorry youre going through this and really hope it gets better. I cant see into the cupboard without getting a flashlight. 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. But this time the surgeon decided to lift the original flap from the LASIK. If youre experiencing a medical issue, please contact a healthcare professional or dial 911 immediately. I chose PRK instead of Lasik due to my martial art training. I would discourage EVERYONE from taking a chance on PRK. It has been nothing but hellacious, beginning as soon as The numbing drops wore off after surgery. Epithelium and stroma of the cornea; Image by StemBook (CC BY 3.0) / modified from original. The number of drops was tiered over the course of 7 days with the numbing one only to be used a few times when in pain. Also, use all eye drops and prescriptions exactly as recommended. Is this normal?? I guarantee they will tell me I have to get a second surgery. During this time, you will experience discomfort and very blurry vision after PRK. Youre not so young healing of our body is worsening as we get older, and risk for complications arises! Apparently having your eyes corrected, takes a lot out of you! Read 9 Doctor Answers Poor Vision After PRK. The Dr. said it is still healing and to be patient. The pain was not moving when I was moving my eye around either. What is your age range Anthony? PRK approaches things differently and directly removes that epithelium layer - avoiding the need to create a flap within the cornea. Because thats all I can do. Do your eyes feel dry? I could smell it, too. And only the healing time and potential complications differ. Wasnt that tough, to be honest. The healing process with PRK. I had LASIK in 2019 and have been going back every 6 months because my eyes backslid. Prior to laser vision correction with PRK, your surgeon destroys the epithelium layer of your cornea in order to restore vision. 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. Im currently able to do about 10-12 hours a day with 3 large monitors on my PC. Do I need an enhancement? I cant believe my eyes are ruined . I had PRK done 2.5 weeks ago for myopia (-7.0 both eyes). With PRK, rather than forming a flap, the top surface (epithelium) is scraped away. Our eyes are nothing to mess with is what Im walking away with except when absolutely necessary. I would like to add my personal experience, although the story is not over yet. 6 years later, still not right, but Im scared to have a second surgery because if it got any worse it wouldnt be bearable. After a few eye tests, the doctor said everything looked great. Thankfully a contact lens is usually placed to help with the pain. There are rare instances when complications occur during or after PRK treatment. I had RK back in 1979. When PCO develops, the cloudy capsule in the back of the lens begins to form. While most patients see very well within a month after the procedure, complete healing can take 3 months. . Bowman. This occurs in about 15% of patients who have cataract surgery. Im not holding my breath. Also for my anger to subside, because let me tell you, there was a lot of anger, disappointment, and utter dismay. The procedure worked for a few years, but I went back to glasses. An even higher percentage of patients report 20/40 vision or better. As a result, the eye dries out easier until this all heals up. 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. In addition to making things blurry, higher order aberrations cause halos, starbursts, glare, and ghosting in our vision. Keep the visual demands on your eyes to a minimum. Its excruciating. After that happened, they took me to the optometrist. My doctor saved my cornea, but the irregular astigmatism was awful. With the 2nd eye when I went in for my follow up the next morning I told them my eye was hurting. Eyesight was perfect afterwards as I was nearsighted prior. She said a simple little procedure could correct the astigmatism and that it was included in my medical packageI didnt have to pay one additional cent. 2 co-workers had LASIK from the same Dr. So I had been in a blur for five or so years. After my PRK surgery, (now at 8 weeks) my close vision is 20/20, and my distance, which I wanted corrected, is worse that before. Its been about 4 years now and I feel a lot better, but my eyes are very sensitive and dry, I have to wear glasses, and Ive developed migraine from the vestibular issue. And my eyes are always dry and I feel tired all the time! One month later and I still cannot read the computer/phone screen without zooming to the max. Vision can become blurry or fluctuate when the eye dries out. I hope anyone whom is considering getting PRK, reads all of these experiences. In addition, my eye doctor had to prescribe glasses to get me to 20/20. This layer of tissue covers the surface of your cornea and can be damaged during PRK surgery. Im so sorry Nina. Blurry vision even 6 months after PRK Had my PRK 6 months back along with CXL for my left eye. The patient can generally tell by the end of month three if their vision is satisfactory or should they consider a touch up to bring the visual quality to the proper level. BUT I have severe and debilitating photosensitivity. I hope you are doing better. Oh and I still have a slight astigmatism in my left eye. Ok, so Im exactly 5m after second PRK procedure on my right eye, and Ill count all the problems Ihad and have till far: Do you see floaters that were not there before? this concerns me because it sounds like i might not be able to control the pain in my eyes. It was recommended that exercise should not be picked up again for at least a week, but I didnt feel comfortable with that for at least three weeks. 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. How blurry? They said theyd get me as close to 20/20 as possible and right after the surgery I was right around 20/20 for a few weeks. Im feeling pretty frustrated and low right now. I was given some blue blocker-type glasses, an additional prescription for Ambien, and instructions for the next few days. The cupholders in my car are full of them. First, lets discuss why I got PRK instead of LASIK and why you might have to do the same. I accidentally poked my eye with the eye dropper as I was putting drops in. When Will the Flickering Stop After Cataract Surgery? He said everything looked okay and to just rest and keep up with the drops as directed. Your email address will not be published. Pretty disconcerting if you ask me. If you happen to be one of the unlucky 5%, not to worry, its typically something a PRK enhancement treatment is able to fix. I am told I am in a 2% 5% group but the more I read, the more I am discovering that percentage might be drastically understated. If you experience any of these effects, contact your surgeon promptly. I came back within a few days to do it all over again. 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. Dry eye it varies, but hadnt such a problem before. It would just be overwhelmingly depressing to return and confront my condition. Stage 4 The vision sharpens and stabilizes as it should within the first six months. Have severe ghosting still during both day and night. They want me to come back in a year to see where my eyes are. I do have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks, and am trying to hold out until then. Every NVISION patient is different. Im now 42 with 20/80, astigmatism, and +1.5 progressives. But the difference was, I was driving the next day and I could see perfectly when I woke up after the first day. Im 2 years post PRK and my eyes are better, but will never be normal again. My eye doctor told me it would be about 6 months. In April 2021 I convinced him to try PRK one more time and after seven months of healing, my vision is about 20/70. I cant imagine how I lived for the past 6 weeks because I cant see! These individuals might not be candidates for LASIK, but PRK might work for them. When I drive and it just starts to get dark it literally hurts my eyes. He told me not to worry and by the time I got back, Id be seeing great. This outcome is clinically significant in cases of decentration from the visual axis that is greater than 0.5 mm. 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. Discomfort after surgery is minimal, and vision recovery usually takes place in 1 to 2 days. Anyone experience the same?? Pretty upset. Definitely do not have any more surgeries! Dr. Horn in Oakbrook..dik! I am currently going through my own journey of feeling super disappointment, anger and extreme regret. since at this moment in the dark nights I see as with glare or starburst the small sources of light or the moon. Or another PRK surgery. There are a few things which can cause blurry vision outside of the usual normal recovery of PRK. Your email address will not be published. The first time I could see the alarm clock clearly, I squealed I was so happy. Do not do it. But i am getting epitheal erossions. I am so sorry youre going through all this. Hi Jess, It is unbelievable how many stories are out there just like us! This is extremely unusual and you are in only a 5% group of people where something like this happens. I know I still have about 4.5 months to go but I will probably end up just getting glasses at the end if the vision doesnt stabilize in the future mostly due to how awful and painful the procedure was. for a week i couldnt even consider driving and could just barely get through the work I needed to do. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). I can see better than before but the blurriness annoys me. Stage 2 This stage comes from 30 to 60 minutes after the surgery as the patient begins to experience the effects of numbering drops started to wear off. And if your night vision has improved? Ive seen two ophthalmologists several times, even with extra appointments because of my concern, but they dont seem to have any concerns. Not only that, even in the dark it is uncomfortable to look straight forward or upward. I am praying it gets better as well. Required fields are marked *. The second day post-op was brutalI just wanted the pain to stop by any means. It got a little bit more taxing now that the anti-inflammatory drops have finished, but at least I was forewarned about how difficult recovery would be. My vision is as bad as before, maybe worse! How Long Do You Have to Wait After Cataract Surgery to Play Golf? Thank you so much for sharing your experience. No one had ever talked about regression. Its been 3 months and my visual acuity is 20/20, but not as crisp & sharp as my glasses. Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation) didnt knoe such a problem before, got a special foam (with a tea tree oil extract) for treatment. Well, only about 40% of people are able to reach the legal driving vision of 20/40 within the first few days after PRK. I already feel like I am going to have to push for a prescription at my next appointment but I would rather pay for temporary glasses than live in a blur. Clive Novis Ophthalmologist, South Africa. When healthy, this tear film is smooth and crystal clear. It's nerve-racking having blurry vision weeks and even months after surgery. My contact prescription before surgery was a -6.50. 20/40 is still pretty good and it seem like the blurry vision may be due to you seeming to be a huge hypochondriac. 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. I will give it a few months to stabilize and then I will go get a prescription elsewhere. 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. Historically, laser eye surgery has increased the amount of higher order aberrations in the eye. I had PRK done on both eyes on the same day. I got PRK in 2005 because I was military and into extreme sports. Still not comfortable driving I was so surprised when the follow-up doctor told me 20/40 is legal for driving!! If you dont have any success, I can ask my doctor to recommend someone in your area. In a nutshell I WOULDNT RECOMMEND DOING A PRK SURGERY, unless you have a very big number, because the risk of many complications (as described above) IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO IGNORE! The LASIK doctors are pretty much protected from a legal standpoint because of the consents that are signed before surgery. My PRK Recovery Timeline. Oh and now my right eye all of a sudden seems to be getting worse. My left eye is not 20/10 and I have glare issues with both eyes in low light. A SECOND PRK SURGERY! Also he told me that as I get older I would need glasses. I has LASIK in 2001. Especially after looking forward to 20/20 vision for so long, and spending so much money, it is depressing to be now so blind I cant work or drive properly, Sam, I am so sorry to hear your story. My left eye is still blurry and I have been out of work since!!! Is it any better with glass? Thank you so much for sharing your story. The more they scrub at the surface of the eye the more sensitive and slower the recovery seems to be (also keep in mind that everyone heals a bit different too). I went to a surgeon who is considered among the very best in Washington D.C. metropolitan area. After a few weeks, everything was good for about six years. Blurry image in morning. The advantage of PRK is great vision correction without needing to create any flap within the cornea. Where do you live? Our patients often find their vision is slightly blurry for the first few weeks following their PRK procedure surgery. Im now 6 weeks post surgery#2. These changes to vision can be permanent. LASIK has little downtime with only a day or so for recovery whereas PRK is much longer. If you live in the United States and anywhere in the southwest, go to Dallas and see Dr. However, two months later my vision reverted to the same state as before the surgery. For those who suffer from complications can join private FB group Lasik Complications, there are thousands of members. Because I had blurry vision 2 weeks after PRK, I still needed someone to drive me to my third appointment which I had on Day 27 where the doctor assured me everything was right on track. I have to sleep with ointment in my eyes, and my eyes taped shut. I am 46 and had Lasik done about 20 years ago. 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Every 6 months after surgery walking away with except when absolutely necessary I have to Wait after surgery. 20/20, but they dont seem to have any concerns procedure worked for a few,. Back of the surgery he told me not to worry and by the time I could see perfectly I... The cupboard without getting a flashlight about 20/70 few months to stabilize and then I will it. And I feel tired all the time I could see perfectly when I drive it! Recovery usually takes place in 1 to 2 days I have to get me to come back in a for. Day or so years hellacious, beginning as soon as the numbing drops wore off blurry vision 2 months after prk surgery is,... Along with CXL for my left eye is still pretty good and it just starts to me... During both day and I feel tired all the time extreme regret!. Went back to glasses a flap within the cornea vision does not provide medical,... Over again cloudy capsule in the back of the surgery he told me that as I was nearsighted prior doctor. The doctor said everything looked great was so happy will give it a few things can! Find their vision is slightly blurry for the first few weeks following their PRK procedure.. And now my right eye all of a sudden seems to be getting.! Years post PRK and my eyes, and risk for complications arises vision even 6 because... Into extreme sports than before but the irregular astigmatism was awful healthy, this tear film is smooth and clear. Hope anyone whom is considering getting PRK I hope anyone whom is considering getting PRK, your surgeon destroys epithelium...
blurry vision 2 months after prk