It's nerve-racking having blurry vision weeks and even months after surgery. You had mentioned a tidbit about the brushing of the cornea well, thats how they prepped my eyes for the surgery. Take my comments here with a grain of salt as I am not a doctor. I dont feel like I am seeing any improvements but some days are better or worse than others. If you are experiencing severe ghosting after PRK, it is essential that you contact your eye doctor as soon as possible to identify the source of your symptoms and get the most appropriate treatment plan. The most common issues are corneal haze, infection after the surgery, and overcorrections and undercorrections. Vision is still not as clear (crisp) as it used to be when I wore glasses. A lot will happen within the first week after PRK. Please keep us posted on your situation. He holds some patents on some of the procedure. I waited three long years to share my experience so my eyes could stabilize and I could give you the full outlook. They did NOT use nearly enough eye-numbing solution and the little valium they gave me didnt do a damned thing for me. Does it take this much time to heal. Thanks so much for sharing your story Amy. Should I go to make an appointment with my eye-docter? It is only fair in the first few days, and you should refrain from driving a car. I got a second opinion from world renowned Mayo Clinic and the recommendation stated forgetaboutit. I was too blurry to work on my computer for over a month but I dimmed my screens got blue light glasses and had to put my face inches from the screen to even focus. 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. My eyes have been sensitive to the sun and onions ever since. I was so excited and thought this was a great sign. An even higher percentage of patients report 20/40 vision or better. 92% of PRK patients get 20/40 vision or better. I am passionate about eye health and love sharing everything I learn about it. My eyes teared constantly which gave me a runny nose and I was still really sensitive to light. for about 5 days i couldnt see a thing. 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. I then had LASIK & for 14 years I saw a crisp 2020. I got PRK in 2005 because I was military and into extreme sports. The sixth-morning post-op, I could actually see the alarm clock when I woke up without glasses! Called my doctors office but they told me to wait it out until my next follow up appointment. Will these issues resolve? And it works better for low to moderate farsightedness than high. From 07, three years after my surgery, my vision was noticeably worse and every year would get a little worse until 15 when I got glasses. Then I met with the doctor to go over what was about to happen and he applied anesthetic drops to my eyes to numb them. 11/13/2012. As far as my 5-year update goes, I am still very disappointed with my results and am angry, but time is helping me get over it. If you are determined to get this surgery you must make sure that your immune system is in tip top shape because if your body has an inability to heal wounds this could be a contributing factor in length and completeness of healing. By four or five days after surgery your vision begins to clear up, although it may take several weeks to a month to become excellent. I had PRK done August 2021 after many years toying with the idea. LASIK has little downtime with only a day or so for recovery whereas PRK is much longer. I saw another dr in the office as mine was out and he said he would have never done that high of a prescription and told me I wouldnt have wear glasses afterwards. Seems to be one of the worst decision Ive ever made. Have severe ghosting still during both day and night. Your eye doctor can diagnose and treat most vision problems, including ghosting. Additionally, when I dont wear glasses, there is a haze, similar to walking through a campfire smoke, permanently. I have read that it could take 3 or 4 months to really get my good vision back, but I have to admit that I am getting nervous. Please keep us posted! If complications still persist, then the scleral lens doctor is equipped to conduct the proper test to diagnose what I have. The first week things will be the most blurry. I went to my optometrist, hoping I could just get a cheap pair of glasses to hold me off for the next 3-4 months of healing and everything was WAY overpriced. If you are like me and still need to wear glasses, check out these. My self- esteem has drastically been affected- I used to wear contacts, not glasses, I cant wear any eye make-up because of chronic inflammation and irritation, my eyes and eyelids are always red, and the warm compresses I have to use have destroyed the fragile skin around my eyes (looks like crepe paper), and as I mentioned I have ptosis of my right eye. Finally 2 yrs later I started to really notice myself squinting to see things far away and got to the point I wouldnt drive At all at night. Amazon Associates Disclosure Dang Travelers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I am at 1 week post prk enhancement in one eye that was -1.5, and while I can see far away like Superman, I cant see anything within 5 feet of my face- but only in that eye. So sorry to hear that KS. Some of the links included in this post are affiliate links and will provide me with a commission at no additional cost to you. Importantly, you should only drive if you can see well enough to drive . This is extremely unusual and you are in only a 5% group of people where something like this happens. I am 10 weeks post surgery and I dont have another appointment for four more weeks. I am so frustrated here and so tired of not able to see! Who is paying for this? She confirmed my suspicion that I needed glasses or contacts to gain a 20/20 outlook. I still cannot believe how many of us there are and yet no major changes in the field. Check out These Are The Best Eye Drops After Lasik (also applies to PRK) to learn which artificial tear drops work best. It was a sharp stabbing and burning sensation in both eyes very hard to explain. 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. As a result, the eye dries out easier until this all heals up. Eyeglass temples: How do you know if they're the right length? Over 3-5 days, as you heal, your vision will gradual The pain was not moving when I was moving my eye around either. I carried through. After cataract surgery, the sun or oncoming car headlights at night can cause light sensitivity (photophobia), resulting in blurry vision. While complications from PRK are possible, they are rare. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 26.99%. 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. The bother of glasses is nothing compared with the misery youve experienced. I wrote the piece because I really wished I would have read something similar before I made my decision. Hopefully things stay at this rate for the rest of my recovery period, but we shall see. My original appointment was about three weeks prior so I never put them back in afterward. (Note: I did have an astigmatism in the left eye before this). Many complications that arise after PRK surgery have to do with not following directions during aftercare. Once the epithelium heals, you will move on to the next stage of healing. Fluctuations in your vision during the first few weeks after surgery is expected; it can take up to six months for your vision to stabilize. Ive tried wearing glasses for it and they make me dizzy, so Ive settled with no glasses and not seeing clearly. From my experience from watching thousands of patients come through for LASIK and PRK I can honestly say that those who have a rough time with recovery had a heavy handed surgeon. Hi Catherine, What a journey for you, Im so sorry. Your vision will blur for a few minutes immediately after you use them but the effect lasts so much longer than normal eye drops. I had an enhancement after just 3 months with my first surgery. I went to an eye surgeon in Arlington Heights, Dr. Thomas Koziol, who is now retired. I wish I would have read this story before I had PRK surgery. So my husband was able to watch the entire thing. Your eyesight will continue to get better until your vision stays stable. My doctor says that this is actually encouraging news because if using eyedrops improves my vision, it means that my cornea has not fully healed and the eyedrops are simply smoothing over rough spots on my cornea and that a transplanted cornea takes much longer to heal from PRK. The doc looked over my results and said I was definitely viable for an enhancement. Same pain and sensitivity again. As the more open your lids are (i.e. The good news is that your vision will improve over time as epithelial cells regenerate. PRK cons. And is it only in the eye you had the touch up done in? The more and more I read, I believe the potential risks are miscalculated significantly. In December 2009, my eyesight started to travel backwards. 20/40 isnt that bad. 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. Plus Im worried about its not going to improve I feel so dumb that i wanted improve that -.75 vision and now my eyes are way way worse than before!! So, with that, I will be a candidate to get PRK again.. Im not happy about this but it doesnt cost me anything except being out a week or 2 from work and a shitload of pain when they rub the cornea which excites me about as much as looking directly into the sun without sunglasses. Hopefully, you just need more time to adjust and will stabalize soon. Bowman. my right eye is about 80% as good as it was pre-surgery, without glasses for distances beyond 1m but closer to 1m it is all but useless. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Im so sorry youre going through this Renee. How Long Does PRK Ghosting Last After PRK Surgery? The doctor said, I should be have been recovered already & that perhaps its due to dry eyes. I guess I knew the risks but then I just crossed my fingers and hoped that it would not happen to me. People who have diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma, or cataracts are also not considered good candidates for PRK surgery. 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. Have all the side effects you speak of still to this day. Dry eyes end up not healing as well and pose a much higher risk for infection. So here I am two eye surgeries later with a new astigmatism, many missed days of work, chronic dry eye, and a prescription for glasses. I want to sue him because I havent seen a day clearly since the surgery and its painfully affecting my life a lot. I had a mild prescription. If I dart my eyes quickly I can get my eyes to sting. Everyone heals at a different rate but you should expect a similar recovery. I hope you find peace. Hi Rose, I did not have any other surgery before the first. Is this normal? Surgeries are a one way journey, you cant undo any damage that was done. I am into Day 11 after PRK surgery. so I will be trying daily contacts in the near future. Literally. Every time I call them they tell me that everyone is different in their healing and to just continue to use the drops. My left eye is still blurry and I have been out of work since!!! Stage 4 The vision sharpens and stabilizes as it should within the first six months. Chose PRK to avoid any chance of flap complications that may come with LASIK. The retinas light-sensitive cells, the rods and cones, are still recovering. When PRK is performed, a layer of the patients cornea (the corneal cells) is completely removed which has to then grow back. Here is what you can expect at each stage after PRK. This new epithelium (epithelium is the outermost and fastest-reproducing cell in your body) may bump up against a bandage soft contact lens and cause blurry vision when it comes into contact with your cornea. He wanted to see me in another month, but I reminded him I was leaving on a three month trip to Spain and Portugal. Dry eyes are also less likely to develop after PRK surgery than they are after LASIK. Most of the time, your treatment will have worked and your vision should be stable within a few months. THANK GOD FOR THAT ONE! Hey, Im 10 months post PRK and i have severe dry eyes. Six years later I still feel like my eyes are healing. So what is the PRK recovery timeline in general? I did recently buy two pairs of glasses and one pair of prescription sunglasses for under $100 online!! He reassured me that my night vision has nothing to do with the surface of my eye & sounds like a retina issue. Driving is dangerous and what am I supposed to do now that it will start getting dark at 5pm? Im so sorry that you are going through all this as well. No such thing as 20/20 vision after it. Instead, it is much worse than preop without glasses. I now think that this issue of looking in certain directions may be because of extreme dry eyes. 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 hope I can get a much clearer vision soon so that I can resume work. Do not shower or take a bath for at least 24 hours. 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. It wasnt fun, but it wasnt horrible either. All I can say is that my dry eye did get better as time went on. Are you all going to private clinics or the big names for LASIK (LASIK Plus, TLC, LVI, etc)? I have to sleep with ointment in my eyes, and my eyes taped shut. This includes keeping them clean and dry, as well as refraining from activities that put strain on the eye such as playing sports. It has been nothing but hellacious, beginning as soon as The numbing drops wore off after surgery. 1st day It was so blurry and painful and it continued for a week, but after 2 weeks pin subsided and I can see clearly. It was just plain dishonest to not tell me about these effects. I wouldnt worry at all. Blurry vision after PRK laser eye surgery This may take anywhere from a few weeks to a maximum of six months. It would seem that Ive been very fortunate, so Im terribly sorry to hear about your, and others trying experiences! Most importantly, if you decide to go for PRK over LASIK, be mentally prepared to deal with the possibility of dealing with a longer recovery time that may even stretch till 9 to 12 months in the worst case scenario. after which I would be reassessed to see if I still needed glasses or a follow-up surgery. Luckily this doesnt happen very often. I should have walked out and done more research. It was so-so to good (never 20/20 but less blurry than the night before) in the morning with my eyes feeling refreshed after a good nights sleep but then would taper off by getting more blurry in the evening. I was told all of these wonderful things about how awesome it would be to see clearly again. How older drivers can improve their driving at night. I am sending positive thoughts your way in hopes of a speedy recovery. I guess Ill just have to get reading glasses then. Resume driving only when advised by your doctor and when you feel confident and safe. No, it was in Oak Brook. Many people I spoke to before the procedure were extremely uncomfortable with the idea of someone touching and messing with my eyes. I used to enjoy target shooting, motorcycle riding and wanted to own a convertible. During this timeframe, your eyes can be dry, leading to blurry or fluctuating vision. If I knew what I knew now, I wouldnt have wasted my time or money on the procedure. The doctor told me they could take me in for another go once my eyes stabilize but she said if I was Ok with the glasses she wouldnt recommend it since I started with such a high number the first time. Is it any better with glass? Hello! Im glad it all worked out. So, if you are thinking about doing a PRK surgery, these are my recommendations when you SHOULDNT EVEN CONSIDER doing it: Also after the laser fired and before the bandage contact was applied they used the same type of disc soaked in mitomycin which has been proven to reduce complications and haze after healing. So when my distance vision started getting a little blurry, I went back to the same surgeon. There are currently 9 PRK Laser Eye Surgery + 2 Months Post-op questions and doctor answers on RealSelf. And suffer the same complications as you. Do NOT rub your eyes in the shower or afterward with a towel. I could barely keep my eyes open walking to the car and keeping them shut the entire ride. They said I would have to have the surgery again and preformed it within four months of the first one. 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. They keep telling me I am still healing, but I am starting to feel doubtful and feel that I have unnecessarily permanently damaged my vision. Dont hesitate to get in touch with us our team would be more than happy to answer them all! And yes, the sand feeling did last for months. So much so that the FDA has posted a New Draft Guidance for LASIK, and I believe was previously open for comments. I did vision therapy for many months. Hi Alex, Thanks for reaching out. They want me to come back in a year to see where my eyes are. I hate glasses and now need them for everything in my life for the rest of my life. 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. B) i got 0.25 astigmatism will this also go away ? Then I was told I needed an Astromal puncture, so I had that done. My eyes remain dry. My contact prescription before surgery was a -6.50. I had PRK done 2.5 weeks ago for myopia (-7.0 both eyes). Do not get any elective eye surgery. Lasik creates a lasik flap to get past the epithelium. The cost of my procedure was $4500 even. I cannot read anything or even watch TV from the late afternoon on my eyes get increasingly blurry as the day goes on. Had the exact same experience with my first prk surgery and might have to get an enhancement because theyre not doing too hot. There was a steroid drop, numbing drop, antibiotic drop, and artificial tears. The initial phase of healing after PRK surgery is essential for its success. Can't avoid it. I chose PRK instead of Lasik due to my martial art training. They should be able to prescribe you something that should help in the meantime. I do have a possible procedure to brush the cornea again as something (i cant remember the term he used) is 60 microns thick, while a normal (insert term) should only be 40 microns thick its something on my cornea. My vision was -8.5 in both eyes. 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The Best eye drops after LASIK ( also applies to PRK ) to learn which artificial drops! And they make me dizzy, so Im terribly sorry to hear about your, and eyes...
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