Laser eye surgery problems?

Padraic11

Hi first time posting on this. I got Laser eye surgery with Optilase over 2 years ago.. My prescription was about -3.5 on both eyes. Got the Lasek procedure. Was very happy after the surgery but the past year I notice my eyesight is getting worse. Find it very difficult driving at night in particular. Got my eyes tested few months ago and was given glasses but wont wear them cause thats the reason I got the surgery. Anyone had any similar problems and do you know if Optilase will do anything for me? Went back few times but they said eyes not too bad yet!! Thats at least 6 months ago and I know my eyes have got worse.

Mousewar

Regression can happen I guess. Not much you can do but go back again. Ultimately, they won't want to retreat unless the prescription has fully stabilized. And they're probably only obliged to retreat if you've fallen below driving standard - that's usually what the life-time guarantees say.

Thelostcountry

Padraic11 wrote: »

Hi first time posting on this. I got Laser eye surgery with Optilase over 2 years ago.. My prescription was about -3.5 on both eyes. Got the Lasek procedure. Was very happy after the surgery but the past year I notice my eyesight is getting worse. Find it very difficult driving at night in particular. Got my eyes tested few months ago and was given glasses but wont wear them cause thats the reason I got the surgery. Anyone had any similar problems and do you know if Optilase will do anything for me? Went back few times but they said eyes not too bad yet!! Thats at least 6 months ago and I know my eyes have got worse.

Hello.

How is your eyes other then that? do you have any side effects? dry eyes,glare,poor night vision etc etc??

Padraic11

Hello, yea i notice my night vision is poor and might have a bit of glare at times.

bootybouncer

u may need cxl

Padraic11

sorry but whats cxl?

Thelostcountry

Padraic11 wrote: »

sorry but whats cxl?

Corneal cross linking, I may be getting it done. Do a goggle search.

I have starburst and my vision also regressed.

Charisteas

How old are you, Padraic?

Padraic11

I'm 27.

jussayeh

Had Lasik done a year ago and an enhancement on my right eye done 4 weeks ago. I'm moderately happy with my vision during the day, I hated glasses so being free of them 90% of the time now is a big plus but there are many unwanted "side-affects" of the surgery .... the most distressing to me being the loss of night vision ...

I chose to go for monovision because of my age i.e. one eye for reading and the other for distance, and as a result my distance vision is not nearly as crisp as it was with glasses or contacts, and I will definitely have to get a cheap glasses for watching TV and driving but it's worth that little inconvenience to be free of glasses the other 90% of the time.

However, the biggest draw back of the surgery for me is the total loss of vision in anything but bright light, I can see very little in dim light or at night ... I can't even see if my alarm panel says its set on or off without turning on the hall now now whereas before I could read it from 3 feet away with the benefit of the street lights outside before the surgery .... I can no longer read the papers in my favourite corner of the room without a light on over my shoulder ...

I understand loss of night vision is a permanent problem as the surgery affects the way the rods and cones in your eyes use the light .... If I hadn't been told by an optician that my contact lens wearing days were numbered I would never have had the treatment .... the loss of night vision is a massive inconvenience and I now need lights on wherever I am in the house as soon as dusk arrives ...

The visual acuity post surgery doesn't compare or come close to the crispness and clarity I had with contact lenses .... I regret not taking a second opinion about the continued use of lenses before I'd had the surgery .... Would I have the surgery again? Definitely not if there was the possibility of wearing lenses for the next 20 years ... @Thelostcountry - I'm so sorry to hear your story and I was meant to ask my optician today whether there was the possibility of wearing lenses again should my vision regress but I forgot - have you had any further information in relation to that from yours??

Thelostcountry

jussayeh wrote: »

@Thelostcountry - I'm so sorry to hear your story and I was meant to ask my optician today whether there was the possibility of wearing lenses again should my vision regress but I forgot - have you had any further information in relation to that from yours??

Hello.

I did not see an optician yet! but when I do,I will post back.

Wish I could turn back time!! My eyes are always on my mind,they never feel right! Like You,My night vision is poor, altho I dont think as bad!

Are you ok to drive at night??? I am ok-ish(apart from the terrible glare)

jussayeh

Thelostcountry wrote: »

Are you ok to drive at night??? I am ok-ish(apart from the terrible glare)

My night driving is bad due to the low contrast light but I don't have any glare issues thank god .... people with large pupils can have problems with glare as light can bend irregularly at the junction between the treated and untreated area of the cornea but I believe you can get medicated eye drops to reduce pupil diameter when driving at night to help solve this problems or you could risk an enhancement surgery .....

Thelostcountry

jussayeh wrote: »

My night driving is bad due to the low contrast light but I don't have any glare issues thank god .... people with large pupils can have problems with glare as light can bend irregularly at the junction between the treated and untreated area of the cornea but I believe you can get medicated eye drops to reduce pupil diameter when driving at night to help solve this problems or you could risk an enhancement surgery .....

I was not aware of them drops, Thanks for that.

I have been told a good few times now, that I was not a suitable candidate for Laser,1; because of my prescription +4.50 and 2;my left eye is Amblyopia(lazy eye) well below driving standard even with glasses!!

But that was all disregarded for 3500 euro by My so called Expert of a sergon!!

I am so Angry! I was so stupid to believe him.

Thelostcountry

Just a little update jussayeh.

I went to get fitted for contacts today. I do need special lenses! As I was told My eyes are the "shape of rugby balls" Thanks to the Laser butcherey!!!!

The contacts have to be ordered,so May not get to try them until next week.(been posted out to me)

The optican said ,there is a chance That i may not be able to tolerate them! time will Tell.

Will keep you updated.

jussayeh

@thelostcountry I really hope you can manage to wear the lenses and you're not going to be precluded from them for life! That'd be a nightmare after all you've been through both financially and physically - and it takes its toll emotionally too, much more that you'd have ever imagined pre-surgery.

I had an enhancement on my right eye, lasek surgery, one month ago and my vision is apparently 20/20 but nothing close to the acuity and crispness that I had with lenses or indeed glasses but I'm happy with that as I hated my glasses and I was told by optician to reduce my lens wearing. I will wait another few months for vision to settle before I buy a pair of glasses for tv and driving. I chose to have the lasek this time over the lasik as I was far more risk averse and aware second time around and was told there was a 5% chance of epithelial ingrowth with repeating the lasik as the flap would have been completely healed and difficult to lift after 11 months. I fell into the 4-6% category of problems in the first instance and wouldn't dream of taking those risks again with my eyes. I feel very fortunate tbh as I was depressed for almost 11 months with my vision - I had one pair of glasses on my head for distance and another pair on my nose for reading and sunglasses occassionally.
I do hope you and the new lenses manage to work well together and you can move on from the upset of your laser surgery.