This article may contain links to products on Amazon.com. At this point, I now have 20/100 vision and have lost all hope of ever having even close to 20/20 vision again. Ill summarize here as this story is getting quite long. If eye drops help, you're definitely suffering from dry eye (normal at this stage), so keep using drops, omega 3, etc. Today, my vision is still blurry but when I wear that same pair of nonprescription cosmetic lenses, my vision sharpens and becomes more crisp. My vision was -8.5 in both eyes. They are dependent on not needed acute eyesight and environments that dont contribute to my misery. 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. The cupholders in my car are full of them. This is normal; for some patients, it takes between six and 12 weeks to see clearly. Thanks so much for sharing this information Anna! This is completely normal and should improve with time. Mine are still so sensitive too! 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). The doctor (again, not the big honcho who performed my procedure because apparently he only does surgeries and never follow-up) revealed my eyes should basically be done healing. Ive never heard of the disc method but it sounds promising as far as complications go which would be great. All those things are just something I used to enjoy and now will probably be selling pay for anything that would help restore my vision and take away the pain. While we do connect people with vetted, board-certified doctors, we dont provide medical consultations, diagnosis, or advice. I wish I would have read this story before I had PRK surgery. I am confident in driving with my blurry eyesight, and even back then i was as well. Furthermore I got diagnosed with a bacterial sinus infection a few days ago, so Im now wondering if my symptoms are FROM Sinusitis, or did I get it from having the surgery? After a few weeks, everything was good for about six years. Diman, did your close vision ever get better? I got PRK because I couldnt stand the headaches glasses would give me. It usually takes a few days to weeks for these new layers to cover and thicken your cornea, eliminating ghosting in the process. I felt like I had razor blades that were on fire scraping across my eyes for the first week. After the surgery, your eye might be covered with a plastic shield or an eye pad, which should be removed the day after the procedure. Most people can see well enough for daily activities like driving, reading and watching TV within the first week after surgery; however, it takes several weeks or months before you achieve perfect vision. 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. If the vision remains blurry, then it could be due to an issue with healing of the new epithelium beneath your bandage contact lens. Thank you Steven. Answers (3) Cassidy bell. You will need to wear sunglasses all the time while outdoors even on cloudy days for three weeks to a month. This will help to promote a complete and fast healing process. My husband always had perfect vision and is considering Lasik because he should to wear glasses now. Most patients who undergo PRK achieve 20/20 vision, with many even seeing better than before their procedure. I couldnt see well to drive at night but I thought that was just because I was getting older. I work in a kitchen and doing things with vinegar, cutting onions, being near a stove or a grill are a constant struggle and my coworkers and boss think Im being dramatic. Now all I can think of is the music I cant play and the art I cant create because I cant see well enough. I would tell you not to get PRK ever. Vision improves between the first week and the first month out after PRK. Driving is dangerous and what am I supposed to do now that it will start getting dark at 5pm? All I can say is, I know exactly how you are feeling and unfortunately the only way out is accepting this. I then had LASIK & for 14 years I saw a crisp 2020. I hope this helps. Type 2 (late-onset corneal haze) occurs after three months and persists longer than three years. Dont think there is need to expand here, simply google haze after prk, and youll get plenty of results on this one! Stay strong and positive thatll eventually get better. I have myopia and astigmatism and both eye -4.25. I reached out to the eye center and they would not give me any of my money back and told me if my eyes get any worse to come back in to see if I am a candidate for a second enhancement. Due to the first PRK I have developed Chronic Corneal Erosion. I had the same experience as you did. I got PRK a couple of days back. Learn about common complications from PRK, including blurred vision, pain, discomfort, and more. I felt like it was never quite as crisp after than it was with contacts but not enough for me to notice a whole lot to wear I had an eye exam. After signing away, I went for another round of tests. i just had a consultation at which i was told i was only a candidate for prk and not lasik. Experiencing total blindness after PRK (which is classified as having zero light perception) is extremely rare. There are many reasons PRK may be recommended. You may need to rely on glasses to enhance your vision until your eyes are fully healed. Still not comfortable driving I was so surprised when the follow-up doctor told me 20/40 is legal for driving!! How many weeks of FML is sufficient. Oh and dont get me started if a speck of dirt hits my eye from the wind. Should I go to make an appointment with my eye-docter? Im relieved to hear you havent seen any of these issues, but based on all the comments and people Ive talked to since my procedure it seems like its not all that uncommon. Blurry vision one month after PRK may be unsettling or frustrating, but it's completely normal. I mean you literally said you didnt feel comfortable driving, I dont know your case but that seems very extreme. I did not feel comfortable driving and my eyes themselves felt extremely sensitive to the touch. I paid extra for LIFETIME lasik and this was all he did. I definitely agree we have to all share so people are aware of whats going on. PRK has an extremely high patient satisfaction rate and is considered among the safest elective procedures available today. Light sensitivity is no joke. It was a very strange feeling and I felt some pressure and heat, but it did not hurt at all. 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. And my eyes are always dry and I feel tired all the time! The 1-year mark: Although it is important to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from ultraviolet . Im now 42 with 20/80, astigmatism, and +1.5 progressives. Im not sure if that was case with me but hindsight is 20/20, pun intended. Supposedly, the procedure time, result, and cost are the same with both procedures. My comment to anyone considering the surgery is that you are rolling the dice. Ended up asking some friends to meet me halfway and drive me back in my car. It should be an uneventful outpatient procedure that takes about 10 minutes to complete. Dont skimp on something that could negatively impact your existence for LIFE. Then the day of the surgery he told me I was getting PRK. The amount of time required to heal can be frustrating. Its been 3 years now since 2nd round and my eyes still get dry I have to wear sunglasses every time I leave the house AND I barely can wear mascara as for some reason it really bothers my eyes and what girl doesnt LOVE mascara. That was a little over a month ago. I had severe dry eye as well but it did get better it just took some time. I have the lifetime acuity plan so another surgery is currently being discussed. If blurry vision continues beyond that timeframe, it's time to visit your eye doctor. Nicolas_yo 2 yr. ago My myopia was -7.5 with astigmatism roughly the same as yours. I work in a kitchen and doing things with vinegar, cutting onions, being near a stove or a grill are a constant struggle and my coworkers and boss think Im being dramatic. They did NOT use nearly enough eye-numbing solution and the little valium they gave me didnt do a damned thing for me. What Is Diabetic Maculopathy & What Can Be Done? Ophthalmology 53 years experience. My distance vision is not that great either, but better than before obviously (my power was -6 in right and -7 in left). Once the epithelium heals, you will move on to the next stage of healing. The recovery was painful but quick! Page published on Monday, January 4, 2021. can you plz tell me about the third day in a lil more detail. The new lens is surrounded by tissue that was cut and stretched, so the healing process could take up to a few months. Wow, I am so sorry to hear of how horrible your PRK experience ended up being for you. If you are like me and still need to wear glasses, check out these. Here are a few facts I wish I would have read before I began my PRK journey. In the last few months ut is become do bad at night such that i cant open my eyes. 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. Its been 3 months and my visual acuity is 20/20, but not as crisp & sharp as my glasses. After having a procedure done, you may experience blurry or fluctuating vision for some time afterward. 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. During this timeframe, your eyes can be dry, leading to blurry or fluctuating vision. 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. Good luck to you as well. I wore sunglasses the minute I got outside since bright lights still bothered me and any wind blowing in my eyes felt terrible. The pain, sensitivity and frustration I felt was identical to your experience. Interest will be charged on promotional purchases from the purchase date at a reduced 17.90% APR on purchases with 60 months promotional financing. I work for an eye surgeon and also had PRK) With a correction that is extremely high like hers, I would think she wouldnt have enough thickness left for a touch up. Dry eyes can affect your vision. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. Keep us posted and try to stay positive- believe me, I know thats easier said than done! Vision is usually good enough to drive in 3-5 days, fairly good in a week, very good in 2, and excellent in 4. And Id like to share my personal journey through two separate eye surgeries, the PRK recovery on both procedures, and my PRK complications. These nerves usually regenerate in the first three to six months after surgery. Im so sorry youre going through this as well Kristy. There are currently 9 PRK Laser Eye Surgery + 2 Months Post-op questions and doctor answers on RealSelf. Within about 3-4 days, the epithelium has healed over the giant scratch. He told me everyone heals at a different pace. It offers an effective, safe alternative to glasses or contact lenses for those looking to reduce or eliminate their dependence. It felt like something was stuck in there and not getting out. All my symptoms remained the same as month one and two. Also because its something people cant see, so they dont understand. I had two friends and they went to different doctors and theirs were the same. After prk I had blurred vision which left me debilitated because of headaches and difficulty working on my computer. Your vision will blur for a few minutes immediately after you use them but the effect lasts so much longer than normal eye drops. The bright sun was HORRIBLE. Prior to the PRK Id never cried over an onion. Please keep us posted! PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) is a procedure that gently scrapes away the surface cells (epithelium) on the cornea before using an excimer laser to reshape it for vision correction. All I can say is that my dry eye did get better as time went on. Lasik creates a lasik flap to get past the epithelium. A SECOND PRK SURGERY! This retrospective comparative study analyzes the early postoperative impact of laser vision correction for myopia on the optical quality and stability of functional vision using a double-pass aberrometer. Dry eyes are also less likely to develop after PRK surgery than they are after LASIK. Have been 2m on fml eye drops, now stopped, a very slight/little haze left (physician says it shouldnt bother me at all). 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. And only the healing time and potential complications differ. 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. 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. 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. But being so affected seems indeed to be quite rare. Beware if you have an astigmatism, and or strong prescription because you will need further adjusting which leaves more room for error. Well now 2 years later Ive slid back to -3 almost -4in both eyes. 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. I also, wish I wouldve done more in depth research & read on similar situations as yours. Ten minutes dont go by when I dont feel a deep regret. Have all the side effects you speak of still to this day. Well, it seems that a PRK surgery was inevitable to you. 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. The healing process with PRK. 20/40 isnt that bad. There are also rare instances when patients experience changes to night vision, including seeing halos or glare. Vision can become blurry or fluctuate when the eye dries out. Offer cannot be combined with any other discounts or special offers, previous surgery, insurance, or vision care plan savings. Safe alternative to glasses or contact lenses for those looking to reduce eliminate... 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