PTK Surgery 2.5 weeks ago - Blurry vision!

Hi, I am a 25 year old male who had perfect vision in both eyes. My left eye used to be the dominant eye and the best one even though I never noticed the difference in my eyes because they were equally good.

In 2013 June, I got pink eye or conjunctivitis adenovirus in my left eye that scarred my cornea. The scars were in front of my pupil so I could not see clearly and my vision was blurry! I went to a speacialist who told me that it will heal itself over time and I waited for 2 years with no progress of healing. I told him that I will not get any younger only older and that asked him if he recommended anything else than just waiting. He referred me to another specialist and the doctor there suggested "PTK Surgery"

On June 18th, I had the PTK Surgery which went very well with no problems. First day of recovery was not as painfull as day 2 and 3. I could not open my both eyes even though only my left eye went through the surgery.. I was very light sensitive. Day 4 was better and then at day 5 and 6 everything felt normal. I had my bandage contact lenses for 6 days and thought that maybe I still have blurry vision because of that!

My vision is still the same as it was before the surgery. 6 days after the surgery I went back and the optician who removed the lenses told me that my cornea is growing nice, I asked her if it is normal that my vision is still blurry as it was before the surgery. She told me that it is normal and that I do not have to worry.

It has been 18 days since the surgery and my vision is still the same as it was before the surgery. Is this really normal?! I mean I never had bad vision before the scarring on my cornea, I know that I am impatient, but I get impatient if I do not see results after promised time for my vision to be good again.

Should I wait for my next appointment which is in September or should I contact them and ask for an appointment this week?! Thank you in advance and sorry for my english, it is not my native language

Please share your experience with PTK Surgery with me, how long did it take for you to see clearly again? Thank you

I had PRK in one eye, which is very similar to PTK, except that PRK is specifically for vision correction. I had terrible visual disturbances initially, which improved over three weeks. Then the rate of improvement slowed down quite a bit, leaving me with residual problems, but they've gotten better over months and years.

Everyone is different. The laser is a form of (relatively) controlled trauma to the cornea. The top layer (epithelium) generally heals within a week, as it sounds like yours did. But below that, there is a considerably longer healing response, similar to the period after an infection. That's the reason for the 3 - 6 month waiting period to evaluate outcome, and I hope you were advised of that.

It can seem like an eternity, but unfortunately there is not much to do except wait. Of course you should see the doctor immediately if anything gets worse. As far as I know, the only other option for corneal scarring is a corneal transplant, which is way less fun.

I had PRK in one eye, which is very similar to PTK, except that PRK is specifically for vision correction. I had terrible visual disturbances initially, which improved over three weeks. Then the rate of improvement slowed down quite a bit, leaving me with residual problems, but they've gotten better over months and years.

I'm happy to hear that in the end everything is fine and that you have a better vision now I myself is looking forward for my eyesight to return, my surgeon told me that PRK was not needed in my case which I hope is good thing. I am just afraid that there is more than scarring in my eye which the optician and the surgeon did not see, I will try to be more patience and wait for my appointment in September

Everyone is different. The laser is a form of (relatively) controlled trauma to the cornea. The top layer (epithelium) generally heals within a week, as it sounds like yours did. But below that, there is a considerably longer healing response, similar to the period after an infection. That's the reason for the 3 - 6 month waiting period to evaluate outcome, and I hope you were advised of that.

I did not know about the healing process, I was told that withing a week or two I will be able to drive again, but I feel I am danger on the road when I can't see my left side crystal clear so I take busses more often than I drive and I still can't see left side crystal clear so how can I drive again within 2 weeks, and I ask myself how would I be able to drive if I had surgery on both eyes. I was told that it will take 3 - 6 months before the sight to stabilizes and not to heal itself, but 2 weeks to drive again. As far I understood my surgeon, just few weeks for healing, I might have misunderstood her.

It can seem like an eternity, but unfortunately there is not much to do except wait. Of course you should see the doctor immediately if anything gets worse. As far as I know, the only other option for corneal scarring is a corneal transplant, which is way less fun.

After having bad vision for 2 years, 3 - 6 months is not so bad. I feel great and my eye feels normal as it used to before surgery, I follow my routines and take the eyedrops and every night when I go to bed I hope that when I wake up in the next morning my sight will get better.

Thank you so much for your response, especially the recovery/healing part of the cornea under the top layer (epithelium) which I did not know of how the recovery process is, so thank you very much again I appreciate it

You're welcome! Actually, I still have night vision problems which aren't debilitating (I'm fine driving, etc.), but they are not correctable by glasses either. If special contacts and dry eye treatment don't work, I have a difficult choice as to whether to get a second laser procedure, or just live with it. Otherwise I would not have researched all of this so much

Saying the vision needs to 'stabilize' is a nicer way of saying that no one knows exactly what will happen in each case. The two factors are biomechanics (the cornea is elastic and will change shape in response to surgery) and wound healing response. But medicine gets better at prediction, and your chances are very good - hang in there.

If a second laser procedure is not too much of a risk and if you feel that these problems affects your everyday life, then why not? If you decide for a second procedure then let me know in this topic. I would like to hear the results and how you feel after!

I will try to update in this topic if I feel/see any progress with my sight getting better Thank you for your support!

A little update!

Today it is exactly 7 weeks and 1 day since I went through a PTK surgery to remove the scarring on my cornea which was the cause for my blurry vision in my left eye as my doctor told me.

So I can say that my vision got a little bit better than last time I wrote here, but only 5-10% by my own calculations. Few days ago was much better, but these last two days I have been busy so I went to bed very late and woke up very early in the morning so my eye(s) have not got the rest they needed. I will still say 5-10% better because today is like how it used to be for few weeks ago, I am sure though that after a good and long rest they will get better again. I know this because even my right eye which is perfectly fine and did not went thorugh the surgery (since my left eye was the one scarred) seems to be blurry by few % which indicates to my eye being tired.

I am trying to be patience, now that my eye sees better by 5-10% I hope that in 6 months it will clear up and I will see clearly as I could before the scarring occured to my cornea. I am less worried now than I was weeks before.