Do you have any queries about PRK or would just like to learn more? thank you for sharing this. I mean after all that was the purpose of it. I had severe dry eye as well but it did get better it just took some time. Oh and dont get me started if a speck of dirt hits my eye from the wind. More than 50% blurred vision for first 3 days. I had a horrible first few weeks. Psychosomatic effects are real. Most patients are able to resume work and other activities within a week, and full recovery and visual improvements should take between 1 - 3 months. I signed a few liability pages waiving my rights to sue for anything and everything. I was very angry . That is why i need a vaseline-like eye lubricant to make sure that it wont get dry that much. I used to be -9 And -8.75, after the surgery I am positive .50 and -.75 so I am nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other eye and has been causing me tons of problems. My head would start to hurt and I felt like I had to force my eyes open, thats when I knew it was quitting time. So I CLEARLY (no pun intended) have to wear glasses for that time. And so your vision will heal up in different stages. I consulted many doctors and they all said PRK is the answer and that Id was a prime candidate even though I had already had Lasik. Im glad it all worked out. PRK Surgery Side Effects That You Should Know About, Precautions When Doing Kitchen Work After Cataract Surgery. My vision in dim lighting isnt good either, as if its a bit more dark. My main concern is : 1 # Will the glasses compromise my healing process and 2# My vision seems worse when I remove them glasses . A SECOND PRK SURGERY! Nice to know the truth, thanks. My eyes teared constantly which gave me a runny nose and I was still really sensitive to light. Those of us that have had horrible experiences need to share with others because I do not feel the eye surgeons are properly informing their patients of the potential risks. Dry eyes are also less likely to develop after PRK surgery than they are after LASIK. This is really the worst stage of recovery after PRK. 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! Dont know when I will be able to go back to work. Today my optometrist checked for vision and noticed an improvement from -2.5 to 0.25. After prk I had blurred vision which left me debilitated because of headaches and difficulty working on my computer. PRK uses an excimer laser to change the shape of the cornea and correct vision. Fortunately by the 3 month mark, vision recovery has pretty much completed for most people. Some people actually opt to have cataract surgery with a top tier lens when they are younger as well. It is possible for vision to remain blurry for one to two weeks. I had so much time and energy invested in something I thought was going to take a week! 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. Im so sorry that you are going through all this as well. Your eye doctor can treat this condition with eye drops, but it can take weeks or months to heal. . It is not uncommon for patients to experience blurry vision for several months after surgery. I came here too because I also am experiencing issues with prk and it has been pretty much 4 months. Being ignorant of the prk procedure, I just assumed I would have great visual acuity the day after surgery, just like with IOL Not until after the procedure, however, did I learn (my fault entirely) that I should expect up to a month of blurred vision. Opthalmologist mentioned that epithelium in one eye is healed and the other eye is healing. +5 and +5.5 with a high astigmatism. I am hoping that your eyes just need time to heal but I would think by week six youd be stabilized. 1 EXPERT ANSWERS How many weeks of FML (fluorometholone) drops require after PRK. Im sure you can guess what comes next. I was so tense, uncomfortable, and completely miserable! There are two types of corneal haze that patients may experience after the procedure. Because it will keep you from having reading glasses until older age! Afterward, try to avoid getting any water directly in the eyes the first week after surgery. I wish more stories like this were out there to save us from this misery! 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. Although these difficulties can last anywhere from weeks to months, most usually clear up on their own within two to three months after being corrected. I just want to say, thank you so much for sharing your stories! Ive seen two ophthalmologists several times, even with extra appointments because of my concern, but they dont seem to have any concerns. I had no idea about the recovery. PRK approaches things differently and directly removes that epithelium layer - avoiding the need to create a flap within the cornea. The most common issues are corneal haze, infection after the surgery, and overcorrections and undercorrections. I personally chose PRK myself and had a great surgeon that was very easy on the eye throughout the procedure and their method utilized a disc instead of a well to apply the alcohol directly to the treatment area reducing the after surgery pain. 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. Within about 3-4 days, the epithelium has healed over the giant scratch. What is the fastest way to recover from PRK? I could barely keep my eyes open walking to the car and keeping them shut the entire ride. 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. This is VITAL to your recovery. there is nowhere in my small city that does laser eye surgery so I had to travel interstate. It is so frustrating and disappointing. Clive Novis Ophthalmologist, South Africa. Im doubtful of 20/15 but would be grateful. I had never put the onions burning my eyes like fire with the surgery. Unfortunately any time you do durgery on the surface of the eye you run the risk of dry eye. Patients who have any sort of autoimmune diseases are generally not considered good candidates for laser eye surgery, including PRK. In 2 days I was up and still sensitive to light had to wear dark sunglasses. He performed cataract surgery and then PRK, which did not work. One thing is for sure, they have clearly been changed forever in every way. It was like having a tic tac! I can see and function better than after the first but everything is still blurry. Ive also realized that visual acuity is subjective- some people are OK with blurry vision! So when my distance vision started getting a little blurry, I went back to the same surgeon. I am just hoping and praying it gets better. I hope I can get a much clearer vision soon so that I can resume work. I had the first surgery almost 25 years ago. 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. Any advice? Rare complications and long-term side effects include deterioration of vision. Author has 101 answers and 241.3K answer views 6 y About one month. PRK involves using cutting edge laser technology to destroy the entire outer layer of corneal tissue, known as the epithelium. But unfortunately this wont always be the case. I had a corneal transplant due to keratoconus 20 years ago. Ive seeing doubles, my eyes are always blurry and I cant even see close. Read More. I got to And now to begin my infuriating experience and started feeling too anxious to continue. lady at dr office told me it could be 8 months or more before i no longer will have an issue with the sand feeling. I would tell you not to get PRK ever. I feel like Im having slightly blurrier vision in that eye but its also watering like crazy. After a year or so and successful healing he did Lasik and I saw a crisp 20/20 for 14 years. I had to have a cataract procedure (even though I didnt have a cataract, but they had to replace the lens). After the awful recovery and 6 months later my vision was substantially worse than when I started and I needed an enhancement. 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. I feel very fortunate not to have the follow up issues that you had. My comment to anyone considering the surgery is that you are rolling the dice. His coordinator told me to plan to take a week off life and his exact words were, you will be very happy. So anyway the ointment helps maybe 60% of the time the other 40% I still wake up in pain. Double vision as well as severe and even permanent dry eye can also occur. Three to six months to be exact. Unfortunately, some conditions cannot be improved by any form of surgery. It was a sharp stabbing and burning sensation in both eyes very hard to explain. 1. The initial phase of healing after PRK surgery is essential for its success. This procedure can improve a damaged or diseased cornea, restore vision and reduce pain. I cant see into the cupboard without getting a flashlight. These nerves usually regenerate in the first three to six months after surgery. Everyday when I wake up I am reminded of my mistake and then begins the battle of what I could possibly do to improve my condition. In December 2009, my eyesight started to travel backwards. I has LASIK in 2001. I did a lot of research and felt that PRK was a good option for my declining distance vision. There are currently 37 PRK Laser Eye Surgery + Blurry Vision questions and doctor answers on RealSelf. Are you experiencing continuous blurry vision? Many thanks for the warnings, and best of luck to all. 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. i was certain if i did go forward i would only do one eye at a time but realized i wont have enough days off left off to take anyway, so that was that. This has been a huge hardship for my family. Thanks for sharing your story. Ill never recommend it to anyone, and Im most likely never letting those con artists touch my eyes again! You know the, Its so rare, it will most likely not happen. Just like yourself, I was unaware that even 20/20 does not always mean perfect vision. My vision at computer screen distance is very unclear (blurry and double vision) 18 days after my PRK surgery. Good luck to you as well. The inflammation is trying to respond to the injury the surgeon created. But i am getting epitheal erossions. The fixed monthly payment will be rounded up to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. 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. Ive needed a second surgery for years, but no thanks. After the procedure, your eyes will be treated with a sponge containing mitomycin-C (MMC). That day I also went for another follow-up appointment where they removed the contact bandages. I went to a surgeon who is considered among the very best in Washington D.C. metropolitan area. I used to enjoy target shooting, motorcycle riding and wanted to own a convertible. 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. I had an enhancement after just 3 months with my first surgery. Hes approaching 60 & has been around forever. Interest will be charged on promotional purchases from the purchase date at a reduced 17.90% APR on purchases with 60 months promotional financing. Hello I've had PRK 10 days ago. Fortunately, once those twelve hours were over, the pain subsided. I keep waking hoping my left eye is going to be clear. 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. dr told me it would feel like sane in my eyes for at least 4 days. slightly higher risk of infection than LASIK. The drive back was brutal on the fourth daySouth Africa isnt known for having a lot of cloud cover in November. While in the waiting room, the nurse gave me a valium (which absolutely helped with the anxiety) and an anti-inflammatory pill. This occurs in about 15% of patients who have cataract surgery. I really wish I had seen this article before I had gotten the surgery, to be honest. Im now 6 weeks post surgery#2. 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. 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. Everything is difficult vs blurred eyes. They ALWAYS tell you just the 5% develops these complications but I honestly think its a huge BS. I did prk in April 2022 . 6. I wish I read this before my surgery. I dont know why my experience was so horrible when all Ive heard were good things. Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.. 2022 Foxiz News Network. Have you gone back and talked to yours? Your experience is exactly like mine. Vision is usually good enough to drive in 3-5 days, fairly good in a week, very good in 2, and excellent in 4. Thats a lot of money to spend on a horrible experience and still bad vision. How long ago did you have the surgery and what did your friend, the doctor, say about your complications? Again, this is incredibly rare. I did see the headings and photos and knew I was better off not reading in detail about your horrible experience. Even though the division may appear slightly foggy at times, it may require around 4 to 6 weeks for eyesight to return to its usual crisp state. I was 33 at the time of my surgery, good health, had astigmatism in left eye and my prescription was pretty strong, I paid for the best eye surgeons in my state (Virginia), followed all instructions given pre and post surgery to a T, went to all follow up appointments, and I still have lack luster results. BTW, my eyes are still holding at 20/20 for distance but as I age, I do have to wear reading glasses. And is it only in the eye you had the touch up done in? The experience has taken such a heavy toll on my mental health. Ive had so many people reach out to me privately and below in the comments about their own personal nightmares with PRK complications. For some reason, it really didnt bother me until the morning of. THANK GOD FOR THAT ONE! 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. Wasnt that tough, to be honest. I hope this helps and is a little bit of encouragement. Please see pic for most recent post-op note and topo scans. Jennifer I am in your exact situation! Im so scared for my future. Drugs didnt seem to help much. A cornea transplant (keratoplasty) is a surgical procedure that replaces part of the cornea with donated corneal tissue. About a month after the surgery I could see clearly for the first time. Then a cornea transplant because I had damaged my cornea. My dizziness and nausea lasted a long time and I did many different therapies to try to help costing my thousands of dollars. It is normal for you to experience significant fluctuations in your visions for the first couple of weeks following your procedure. I didn't realize what I wasn't seeing. I even had to get an enhancement on my left eye 7 months ago (July 2021) due to residual astigmatism. I cant believe my eyes are ruined . Why is this? Beware if you have an astigmatism, and or strong prescription because you will need further adjusting which leaves more room for error. I wanted to try getting contacts and he ordered some trial contact lenses for me but get this when I tried them on, it was as if I was nearsighted again and everything was blurry at distances. I had PRK done 2.5 weeks ago for myopia (-7.0 both eyes). Oh Ariel, I am so sorry you are going through this. So no not worth it unless you really have really bad vision and you have an outdoorsy lifestyle otherwise it is not worth those complications. I laid down and the doctor put an instrument over my head that held my eyelids open. No one had ever talked about regression. Maybe an hour after I woke up i didn't feel the pain anymore but now vision in my left eye is blurry like pre-PRK blurry. I came back within a few days to do it all over again. Is this normal? I remember feeling SO TIRED. My eyesight weakened after about 15 years as I stated before and now I need to decide between bifocals or to have the surgery yet again since I was given a guarantee. Heres the interesting part: If I put some eyedrops in that eye, I can see 20/20. The prescription of the eye stabilizes and with this comes improvements in what you can see. Cant touch my eyelids, an eyelash feels like a knife, and onions are acid. I wouldnt worry at all. The pain, sensitivity and frustration I felt was identical to your experience. I chose PRK because I am a heavy eye rubber and was terrified that Id rub the flap off. My original appointment was about three weeks prior so I never put them back in afterward. Have spent as much money, or more, on drops and reading glasses, and taking time off work, as I would have on glasses or contacts anyways. Avoid activities that cause eye strain or put you at risk of experiencing any sort of impact. its helped me feel more confident about my decision that the long recovery and potential risks really arent worth it for me personally. Im pretty much going to be honest and up-front with them, as I always have been. Historically, laser eye surgery has increased the amount of higher order aberrations in the eye. Oh and I still have a slight astigmatism in my left eye. If you are experiencing persistent ghosting after PRK, the first step should be to contact your doctor. Nicolas_yo 2 yr. ago My myopia was -7.5 with astigmatism roughly the same as yours. Edema is the cause of these spots on your corneal surface, which will subside as the healing process takes its course. Cornea transplants are performed routinely and with a reasonable success rate. It felt like someone was pouring acid in my eyes. Hey, Im 10 months post PRK and i have severe dry eyes. My prescription has stayed the same since the second PRK surgery and my near vision is still great for a woman in her 40s. Ive had a very similar experience and after 6 months of my first PRK, Ive just underwent a second PRK plus PTK few days ago in my right eye. He did my cornea transplant in 2001. In some cases, a steroid shot behind the eye might be necessary. Sorry for your eye issues, but there is hope. The LASIK doctors are pretty much protected from a legal standpoint because of the consents that are signed before surgery. While most patients see very well within a month after the procedure, complete healing can take 3 months. Like you, I had PRK surgery. **Your total cost will be based on your individual needs and will be determined with your provider. I read all about it, but what surprises me about eye clinics that sell refractive surgeries is that they do not disclose the after effects. Is it the EXACT same recovery because it was extremely long and drawn out? Thanks for leaving a comment, appreciate it! I wish, I had read about your experience before getting PRK done. I used the numbing drops accordingly and the prescription pain meds but nothing helped. Do not get any elective eye surgery. It is my opinion that no one should risk their precious eyes! My job choices are now extremely limited. At the very least, I hope all our stories will help someone make the right decision regarding their eyes. I also like to share my PRK surgery story. I did not see my doctor but another one that was in the office that day. That is absolutely the question everyone should be asking themselves. I run a startup company so I have that luxury. 11/13/2012. Consult with a doctor virtually or in person. I guarantee they will tell me I have to get a second surgery. I had to get bifocals at the ripe old age of 32. So sorry to hear that KS. My eyes had been about -7.5 prior to PRK. Do you have another appointment? Ive been wearing them the last few months and love them! My first week of recovery was similar to yours, except I didnt have any pain meds, anti anxiety meds, or sleeping pills before or after surgery. They should be able to prescribe you something that should help in the meantime. Please do not do it. Someone please tell me it will be alright . Im definitely NOT going back for a third surgery does anyone seeking for legal help for the experience?? Was he on Washington? After surgery, I have worse night vision, and the power (how close or far something appears) in my left eye is lower than the power in my right. Hope you get better and your message raises awareness regarding those surgeries. Its when the cells begin to grow back over the eye that you start feeling what I can only describe as the sandy sensation turning to toe-curling-pillow-squeezing pain. 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. Learn more at What YOU Can Expect With Post PRK Haze. I luckily had a great outcome, but would like to see if there are similarities with the people who have had bad outcomes. Thanks for sharing your experience and recommendations Diman! Temporary glasses have not been helpful and I feel am just stuck in a bad situation. 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