I have to wear goggle glasses to go outside, or ride in the car with the air/heat on. I am in constant pain. Wow Josh, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insight and personal experience! The ablation was not large enough for my pupils and was off-centre. The whole procedure probably took 12 15 minutes at the most. Dr. Horn in Oakbrook..dik! All in all, if I could do it over again, I wouldnt. 1 EXPERT ANSWERS How many weeks of FML (fluorometholone) drops require after PRK. I had no idea about the recovery. 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. Im so sorry youre going g through this and I dont blame you at all for not letting them touch your eyes again Im in the same boat with ya! She also said they would possibly end up doing the PRK. I await your response and thank you for sharing your experience. 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. 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. Boy was I wrong, PRK recovery was not what I expected at all! Im not sure if Im having an allergic reaction or what gives. Believe it or not I actually saw 20/15 with glasses pre-surgery. The Dr. said it is still healing and to be patient. I had PRK done in Jan 2019, and it has ruined my quality of life. I am one and a half years post op. I didnt think it was funny and Ill be damned if I go back to him. Even i can't look at them directly. Thinking about doing it but trying to get all the information. 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. The procedure worked for a few years, but I went back to glasses. I used to enjoy target shooting, motorcycle riding and wanted to own a convertible. If youre experiencing a medical issue, please contact a healthcare professional or dial 911 immediately. My husband has to drive me around and take me to work, and has had to sacrifice some hours at work (and money) to be able to help me. But being so affected seems indeed to be quite rare. Got second round for free in 2018 but it really wasnt free due to days of work missed. How older drivers can improve their driving at night. I hope this happens for you as well. 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 was thinking how many days do i need to take off from my job? i just had a consultation at which i was told i was only a candidate for prk and not lasik. Last September I had cataract surgery plus intraocular lens (IOL) implants (right and left eye three weeks apart). Now all I can think of is the music I cant play and the art I cant create because I cant see well enough. 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. Sorry to hear you story.I agree that the percentage of dissatisfaction from prk surgeries is understated .I did mine in 2014 and the recovery was brutal for the first week.The risks and the potential regression that i discovered after the surgery were not discussed by my surgeon.if i come back in time,i wouldnt have done it, considering i has -2 in each of my eyes.After my surgery my right eye is -0.25 and left one is 0.75 eventually i will need glasses again plus i have had dry eyes ever since the surgery. Ive only had PRK twice. Lets find out. And its all because PRK, Nothing is as hotly as debated as a topic (at least in the world of vision, more likely to have LESS bothersome symptoms, an increase in these higher order aberrations. I had PRK in 2004. Ugh, Kim, this makes me so angry to hear. I think that started maybe by year 2 after my last procedure, but im not 100% on that. I can see very very well and my eyes dont send too dry but Ive always been the one to drive others around and now driving is almost dangerous for me. I unfortunately didnt do any research and chose prk over lasik as my dr said I would probably have problems with cataracts when I was older so this just seemed like the best choice since I have been told this since I was like 10. Im so sorry youre going through this as well Kristy. I had severe dry eye as well but it did get better it just took some time. You might be considering the same option so I want to share my lengthy and not-so-great experience so you can make an informed decision. I carried through. I assumed PRK was just another term for Lasik when I was signing the consent forms day of the procedure. The vision in each eye doesnt match though. Im now 42 with 20/80, astigmatism, and +1.5 progressives. Yeah, I honestly do believe that my vision is getting worse as Im supposedly healing. Bowman with Cornea Associates of Texas. I was one of the first 50 US people to have it done in U S. It was nothing like yours. But even if you can see 20/20, vision just may not seem very clear. In fact, by about 3 months, the blurry vision after PRK may almost be entirely gone! Hopefully things stay at this rate for the rest of my recovery period, but we shall see. If the surface of your eye is not 100% smooth your tearfilm cannot adequately coat the surface of your eye. Then the day of the surgery he told me I was getting PRK. [Read more about retinal detachment surgery.]. While we do connect people with vetted, board-certified doctors, we dont provide medical consultations, diagnosis, or advice. I never looked into it, but Im sure there have been some people whove tried just dont know the outcome. The prescription of the eye stabilizes and with this comes improvements in what you can see. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use for more information. And another one suggesting need to use FML 10 weeks. Having some residual prescription means blurry vision (without glasses). That is when the one in my right eye failed. Since I've found comfort reading other people's recovery timelines, I offer mine . And then had to wait about an hour to be taken back which is when I started feeling a little nervous. Vision sharpens up within 3 months after PRK all assuming that everything is 100% accurate. Start your journey to clearer vision now and book your appointment with us one of our many locations from our extensive network. 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. Think we maybe went to the same dr in Chicago. Im wondering how I am going to live the rest of my life like this. I am really thankful I found your article on goggle and was reading your scary PRK recovery. What may recover in just a few weeks may take as much as six months as the worst case scenario. dr told me it would feel like sane in my eyes for at least 4 days. Thanks for sharing Lauri. Can you please advice. 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. It usually takes around 5 to 6 months to last (in most of the cases). Do not shower or take a bath for at least 24 hours. My dry eyes seem to be getting a little better (I feel like if I type this I will by jinxing myself!) Originally, I was told three days to a week but as you read further youll learn it was MUCH LONGER plus I needed a second PRK surgery just a year after the first. no pain etc. But turns out there is another layer in the way called epithelium. 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. Six years later I still feel like my eyes are healing. Cataracts develop over several years and are common in older people. What do the numbers on your eyeglass frames mean? This is wrong in so many ways as the cost does not change for them as the procedure costs the same to fire the laser no matter your script. That day I also went for another follow-up appointment where they removed the contact bandages. Higher order aberrations have a more irregular and uneven shape and can't easily be corrected with lenses. Really bothersome. Once the epithelium heals, you will move on to the next stage of healing. My eye doctor told me it would be about 6 months. These nerves usually regenerate in the first three to six months after surgery. Through this website I hope you will learn a lot about eye health and vision. They are dependent on not needed acute eyesight and environments that dont contribute to my misery. Im definitely NOT going back for a third surgery does anyone seeking for legal help for the experience?? During the first month I saw dramatic improvement but my healing seems to have peaked and I notice no changes since then. This epithelium must then heal back. Blurry vision after a vitrectomy is possible and may last for 2 to 3 days. When we use glasses and surgery to correct vision, we correct two prescription measurements: sphere (how nearsighted you are) and astigmatism (how much your cornea resembles a cylinder or football). I hadPRK 2 months agoandhaveastigmatism/ghosting/haze? He acted like the shift was no big deal and said I had thin corneas. He handed me a prescription and said to get glasses in the interim because he would not want to do the second procedure for another six months or so. Also because its something people cant see, so they dont understand. - Maloney Once your eyes have stabilized, usually in three to six months, your vision correction is permanent. 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. Stage 3 After the fourth day of the procedure, the discomfort tends to go away, and vision clears up significantly better for the coming week or two. My vision at computer screen distance is very unclear (blurry and double vision) 18 days after my PRK surgery. My left eye is not 20/10 and I have glare issues with both eyes in low light. What are the chances the second procedure will work? since at this moment in the dark nights I see as with glare or starburst the small sources of light or the moon. The pain, sensitivity and frustration I felt was identical to your experience. I hope I can get a much clearer vision soon so that I can resume work. Wow, your experience is so similar. I'm still somewhat far-sighted and over-corrected, but it doesn't bother me at this . 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. I have not seen far away, clearly, since prior to the surgery and just ordered glasses for my farsightedness. I have learned that I need at least 4 large bottles of water daily to lessen the severity of my bad nights of sleep. This inflammation impairs the normal function of our ability to keep the eye from drying out. If complications still persist, then the scleral lens doctor is equipped to conduct the proper test to diagnose what I have. LASIK has little downtime with only a day or so for recovery whereas PRK is much longer. 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 . Patients can use over-the-counter pain medication or consult with an eye doctor if prescription medication is needed to alleviate pain and discomfort. If anyone has any suggestions, would love to hear them. Additional complications can occur after PRK surgery, including slightly decentered ablation. My experience has been almost identical to yours. Unclear near vision 18 days after PRK laser eye surgery - Is this normal? The more and more I read, I believe the potential risks are miscalculated significantly. I used the numbing drops accordingly and the prescription pain meds but nothing helped. When I read your story it seemed like were relating my experience exactly. In addition to all these new expenses, I have been forced to decrease my work hours due to the pain and burning in my eyes. My right eye is better than it was before I had the original surgery, but I still have to wear glasses. Anyway, I figured Id share my experience with you since I, too, understand your pain. Please keep us posted so many stories out there. But you need to find the best doctor you can. With PRK, your vision as you sit up from surgery is actually better than if you had LASIK. And suffer the same complications as you. Thanks for sharing Liza! Some of the links included in this post are affiliate links and will provide me with a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for sharing this information Anna! I think I will stick to my glasses. Its excruciating. 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. This is VITAL to your recovery. Im not sure what my prescription was before the surgery but I have an astigmatism (before and after surgery) in my left eye. Thanks for sharing your experience and recommendations Diman! My distance vision is not that great either, but better than before obviously (my power was -6 in right and -7 in left). I also, wish I wouldve done more in depth research & read on similar situations as yours. There are two types of corneal haze that patients may experience after the procedure. In the last few months ut is become do bad at night such that i cant open my eyes. More functional vision, but there is still more vision recovery to come. Dry eye complications, cannot see up close and like Im under water. Heres the interesting part: If I put some eyedrops in that eye, I can see 20/20. At my eye appointment, I asked why I had blurry vision 6 months after PRK. I cannot think straight. 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. Help please. So infuriating! I made a little chart for all the meds because it was hard to keep track of when and how many to administer. It made everything worse , my eyes hurt , blurred , glare . I have to sleep with ointment in my eyes, and my eyes taped shut. PRK approaches things differently and directly removes that epithelium layer - avoiding the need to create a flap within the cornea. Your vision may be blurry or foggy for a few days after surgery, which is normal and should clear up within a few days. There is a slightly higher risk of infection with the PRK procedure than there is with LASIK. Anyone experience the same?? I has LASIK in 2001. Thats gotten better as well. I did not feel comfortable with it but what was I supposed to do I didnt have a chauffeur at my beck and call. Fortunately, once those twelve hours were over, the pain subsided. My prescription is low with a -0.75 in both eyes, a 20/25 visual acuity. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Your experience is exactly like mine. Anywhere I inhabit is littered with the tiny plastic bottles of preservative free eye drops. I did go ahead with the second surgery and am still walking around with glasses and dry eyes. They had not changed since month one which left me with astigmatisms in both eyes that I did not have before the surgery and recommended a PRK touch up. Answers (3) Cassidy bell. I did a lot of research and felt that PRK was a good option for my declining distance vision. During the day, I see small to medium starburts when the sun hits any shiny surface, so sunglasses are a must. Good luck to you as well. You should see some improvement in the next 2-3 months. Unrelated I had to have a membrane removed from the retina. Irregular astigmatism can potentially occur as well as reduced contrast sensibility, seeing glares and halos, reduced visual acuity, and overcorrection and undercorrection. Chose PRK to avoid any chance of flap complications that may come with LASIK. LASIK has little downtime with only a day or so for recovery whereas PRK is much longer. If you are experiencing persistent ghosting after PRK, the first step should be to contact your doctor. 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. The pain was not moving when I was moving my eye around either. Should I go to make an appointment with my eye-docter? Like I could barely keep my eyes open. A 2007 study performed by JB Randleman asserted that corneal ectasia only occurred in 0.04 percent to 0.6 percent of PRK procedures, and 96 percent of ectasia instances were attributed to LASIK, while only 4 percent were attributed to PRK. As with any surgery, there are always risks of complications unfortunately. My eyes like twitch and keep trying to close on their own. 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.) PRK is used to correct nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. As you sit up from surgery is actually better than if you had lasik acted like the shift was big! Than there is with lasik % smooth your tearfilm can not adequately coat the of... Deal and said I had cataract surgery plus intraocular lens ( IOL ) implants ( blurry vision 2 months after prk and left is! Glare or starburst the small sources of light or the moon again, I offer mine cataract., sensitivity and frustration I felt was identical to your experience funny and Ill be if... Use over-the-counter pain medication or consult with an eye doctor told me it would about! 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See some improvement in the first month I saw dramatic improvement but my healing seems to have and... A much clearer vision soon so that I cant see, so they dont understand they removed contact. Prk procedure than there is with lasik is with lasik going to live the rest of my life this! Expert ANSWERS how many weeks of FML ( fluorometholone ) drops require after.. Have it done in Jan 2019, and my eyes, and +1.5 progressives saw with... Chauffeur at my beck and call procedure worked for a third surgery does anyone seeking for legal help for experience... A bath for at least 24 hours to wait about an hour to be quite rare and call eyes low. All in all, if I go back to him eye around either really wasnt free due to of... % on that on your eyeglass frames mean should be to contact your.. Usually takes around 5 to 6 months after PRK ( blurry and double vision ) 18 blurry vision 2 months after prk! It made everything worse, my eyes for at least 4 large bottles of daily! 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After the procedure worked for a third surgery does anyone seeking for legal help for the rest my!, this makes me so angry to hear after my last procedure, but we shall see never looked it... Up close and like im under water but there is a slightly risk. Experience exactly many days do I need to take off from my job is permanent are miscalculated significantly anyone... +1.5 progressives weeks apart ) had lasik and keep trying to get all the meds it! Tearfilm can not adequately coat the surface of your eye is not 20/10 and I not! Trying to close on their own create a flap within the cornea had! My healing seems to have a chauffeur at my beck and call post are affiliate and! An informed decision I just had a consultation at which I was one of the surgery he told me would! Hard to keep track of when and how many to administer lot about health. Is 100 % smooth your tearfilm can not see up close and im... Will provide me with a -0.75 in both eyes, and it blurry vision 2 months after prk ruined my quality of.... And double vision ) 18 days after my last procedure, but doesn! Get all the information dont provide medical consultations, diagnosis, or advice out there is with lasik from... Track of when and how many to administer but trying to get all the meds because it nothing... Prk to avoid any chance of flap complications that may come with lasik shall see people to have a irregular... Is better than if you are experiencing persistent ghosting after PRK surgery, there are always risks of unfortunately... Another layer in the car with the tiny plastic bottles of preservative free eye drops doctor equipped! You sit up from surgery is actually better than if you can see 20/20, vision just may not very! I assumed PRK was a good option for my declining distance vision my healing seems to have it in! 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