I thought I would be eliminating yearly eye exams, the annoyance of picking out glasses and having to carry contact solutions, contacts, glasses, and everything else that goes with having bad eyesight. What Is Diabetic Maculopathy & What Can Be Done? Dont hesitate to get in touch with us our team would be more than happy to answer them all! First, lets discuss why I got PRK instead of LASIK and why you might have to do the same. I had my procedure done approximately 2 1/2 months ago in San Jose, CA. I started to get a little anxious during this time, especially when reading some recovery logs with quicker recovery time. However, regular readers do not work well with astigmatism. Im so sorry Nina. Our patients often find their vision is slightly blurry for the first few weeks following their PRK procedure surgery. Why is this? Discomfort after surgery is minimal, and vision recovery usually takes place in 1 to 2 days. Its so frustrating and disappointing. I really appreciate the info and totally agree. Ugh! While we do connect people with vetted, board-certified doctors, we dont provide medical consultations, diagnosis, or advice. They actually made it seem far worse than I experienced, but in all of my follow-ups the ophthalmologist said that my recovery has been far better than expected. I paid $3,363.12 including a discount of $1,000 for my type of insurance to correct my nearsightedness (-5.50 in both eyes). Vision problems usually improve over time as your eye heals and stabilizes. I was not a candidate for LASIK due to thin corneas. PRK uses an excimer laser to change the shape of the cornea and correct vision. During this timeframe, your eyes can be dry, leading to blurry or fluctuating vision. Opthalmologist mentioned that epithelium in one eye is healed and the other eye is healing. Good luck with your recovery. I had -6.25 of myopia and some astigmatism. Some patients experience dry eyes, redness, pus, swelling, and fever after PRK surgery. While complications from PRK are possible, they are rare. Eyesight was perfect afterwards as I was nearsighted prior. 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. Stay strong and positive thatll eventually get better. Hey DJT, Funny you took the time to comment and read this article if youve never had issues with PRK. I have had the prk surgery and it was done by a close friend who is a Dr. Im writing this for anyone who is thinking about it. It doesn't feel like there is much notable improvement during this time. I can see and function better than after the first but everything is still blurry. My job choices are now extremely limited. The pair I picked out at the eye doctor were $440 so I couldnt believe the price difference. Im currently able to do about 10-12 hours a day with 3 large monitors on my PC. Originally only wanted to while driving or seeing something far away. Like you, I try to stay hydrated, always wear sunglasses, and use drops when needed. 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. The 1-year mark: Although it is important to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from ultraviolet . I am so sorry youre going through all this. Hi Renee, Vision works best when looking through a clear surface. Be sure to rest your eyes, take prescribed medications and follow your eye doctors instructions. I got to And now to begin my infuriating experience and started feeling too anxious to continue. 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. Dont let a LASIK doctor talk you into an enhancement surgery (check out the website LASIK complications). The good news is that your vision will improve over time as epithelial cells regenerate. The vision in each eye doesnt match though. Prior to laser vision correction with PRK, your surgeon destroys the epithelium layer of your cornea in order to restore vision. 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. It was a sharp stabbing and burning sensation in both eyes very hard to explain. I only use them every once in awhile now 5 years later. Here are some questions to consider post eye surgery. I chose PRK instead of Lasik due to my martial art training. I dont know why any doctor would say anything about going blind, because the overwhelming majority of corneal issues can be fixed with a cornea transplant, a very, very successful operation. 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. The cupholders in my car are full of them. If you had thin corneas to start you should have been recommended PRK as it is safer for thin corneas. 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. It can be very frustrating dealing with blurry vision and mild pain from time to time. Hes approaching 60 & has been around forever. Because thats all I can do. Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation) didnt knoe such a problem before, got a special foam (with a tea tree oil extract) for treatment. As you read in my article, it took some time for me and still struggle with some issues, but after time I did have improvement. One feared issue with PRK is the development of haze. I am passionate about eye health and love sharing everything I learn about it. He had performed the surgery on other surgeons, police officers and even his own son. My physician is a perfectionist, however, and told me that although I seemed satisfied with the results, she was not. The first one was taken on both eyes at age 21, I had 1.25 & 1. Hello I've had PRK 10 days ago. Learn how your comment data is processed. I am 46 and had Lasik done about 20 years ago. This inflammation impairs the normal function of our ability to keep the eye from drying out. Everyone heals at a different rate but you should expect a similar recovery. Many complications that arise after PRK surgery have to do with not following directions during aftercare. I hope this happens for you as well. I had excellent night and day vision when corrected with contacts prior to the surgery. Im 19. Im doubtful of 20/15 but would be grateful. I felt like I had razor blades that were on fire scraping across my eyes for the first week. Your experience is exactly like mine. This corneal abrasion takes three or four days to heal, resulting in moderate pain and blurred vision in the short term. Is this normal?? that it will heal, but that everyones recovery can be different. Fast forward to 2022. Close to 95% of all PRK patients are completely corrected to be able to see 20/20 or better. He did my cornea transplant in 2001. And now to begin my infuriating experience. You may be a great candidate for a cornea transplant that may restore your vision to 20/20. So sorry you are having such trouble. I havent talked to the surgeon after the first op and honestly after reading this and others comments. I was told all of these wonderful things about how awesome it would be to see clearly again. My husband always had perfect vision and is considering Lasik because he should to wear glasses now. I run a startup company so I have that luxury. Ghosting is usually caused by an epithelial defect. Im no doctor, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. But being so affected seems indeed to be quite rare. Still on steroids to prevent hazing. I was not relaxed in the preparation for this surgery. THANK GOD FOR THAT ONE! 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. It is unbelievable how little we are told before these procedures. And another one suggesting need to use FML 10 weeks. After a few eye tests, the doctor said everything looked great. Its been almost four years now and I still have a little dry eye and sensitivity, but have gotten used to the idea of glasses. 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. I wanted to share because it kills me to still pay for eyewear after paying so much for the surgery. Talk about something to keep you busy while you wait! dr told me it would feel like sane in my eyes for at least 4 days. The doctor told me that day 3 was going to be the worst and he was right. While some of these symptoms are normal after eye surgeries, none should continue indefinitely. I had PRK surgery 1 year and 1 month ago and I have exactly the same experience. Unlike most folks, I was born with a + number in both eyes. Anywhere I inhabit is littered with the tiny plastic bottles of preservative free eye drops. Since I see that it is a problem of the surgery and the pupils. LASIK has little downtime with only a day or so for recovery whereas PRK is much longer. It feels like a nerve problem. These nerves usually regenerate in the first three to six months after surgery. (I was 34 when I had the surgery). I had the consultation planned for the Tuesday, surgery on Thursday and work the following week. Retreatment is performed with an excimer laser. You may look into a dry eye treatment called thermal one touch or IPL for dry eye. Benefits of the PRK procedure include less risk of overcorrection. My ophthalmologist recommended PRK because of the shape of my cornea. It made everything worse , my eyes hurt , blurred , glare . I keep waking hoping my left eye is going to be clear. I lost count at this point how many 30 minute drives I took to the office which added to my frustration. At my six week appointment I was told I have scar tissue that was not healing as it should. Im so scared for my future. Now I am 3 years post op Im still experiencing this. And then had to wait about an hour to be taken back which is when I started feeling a little nervous. I mean you literally said you didnt feel comfortable driving, I dont know your case but that seems very extreme. The LASIK doctors are pretty much protected from a legal standpoint because of the consents that are signed before surgery. At this point, I now have 20/100 vision and have lost all hope of ever having even close to 20/20 vision again. If blurry vision continues beyond that timeframe, it's time to visit your eye doctor. I had PRK 3 days ago. Oh no, Im so sorry for what you had to endure. This includes keeping them clean and dry, as well as refraining from activities that put strain on the eye such as playing sports. I have had the prk surgery and it was done by a close friend who is a Dr. Im writing this for anyone who is thinking about it. But the difference was, I was driving the next day and I could see perfectly when I woke up after the first day. I sure hope your symptoms subside as time goes on. The level of frustration I have with this procedure dwarfs all others. The cost of my procedure was $4500 even. Thanks for sharing your story with us Rachel! In addition to making things blurry, higher order aberrations cause halos, starbursts, glare, and ghosting in our vision. I had originally driven there from Cape Town (about a 350 mile drive) to get LASIK as they said Id have no issues driving home the next day (testimonies from friends as well confirming this), but about 15 minutes before the procedure, they said that PRK was far safer for me to get because of the shape of my astigmatisms, so I consented and stayed a few more days in the area. Have you gone back and talked to yours? Started about 8-9 days after the surgery and has been unchanged since then. 1-2 weeks: Prk surgery is accompanied by swelling of the front of the eye (cornea) which usually lasts one week and the vision comes in rapidly in the next week . Even though the procedure has an excellent safety profile, PRK surgery does entail a certain amount of risk. How long ago did you have the surgery and what did your friend, the doctor, say about your complications? I am so sorry youre going through this and really hope it gets better. It would seem that Ive been very fortunate, so Im terribly sorry to hear about your, and others trying experiences! I did need an enhancement a few months after. But it is still normal to have blurry vision one month out. Five years ago, I had an acute rejection of the corneal transplant and my vision went to 20/1000. I hear about these overzealous doctors doing these procedures on high script thin cornea patients and wonder how many have complications down the road. About a month after the surgery I could see clearly for the first time. Do you have any queries about PRK or would just like to learn more? The content on this site is for informational purposes only. Lets find out. He did also like you, assure me these treatments and medicines would cure the problem. How are you both healing? Edema is the cause of these spots on your corneal surface, which will subside as the healing process takes its course. Its discouraging not knowing if youll heal properly when the doctor never gives real answers. I am really thankful I found your article on goggle and was reading your scary PRK recovery. 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. Your eye doctor will prescribe eye drops to help the eye heal and to ensure that the body accepts the donor tissue. Also, one thing I noticed immediately from my surgery & that was probably an indicator of surgery complications: seeing the car headlights, traffic lights, anytype of light colors more pronounced (the way ppl see car headlights/traffic lights, lights at night, well thats how I see them during the day & night.) 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