2 months post iLasik-regression?

[cateyes]

I'm new to the forum, and just want to relate my experience so far and see if anyone can offer any feedback!

I had iLasik January 15, not quite 2 months ago, here in Atlantic Canada. I was a whopping -9.00 in both eyes pre-surgery! Basically bat-blind. Needless to say, the potential benefits of the surgery greatly outweighed the risks. The day after the surgey, I was a very crisp 20/20 in both eyes. I was thrilled. When I went back for my one week, there had been very subtle changes I was only beginning to notice: my right eye was now 20/25, left still 20/20. The doctor suggested it was probably dryness, and beacuse I was experiencing a foreign body sensation in the right eye, I was inclined to agree with him. I used copious amounts of drops, which relieved the pesky sensation, but didn't help the clarity improve.

Interestingly, what would happen for the first month is when I would wake up, my vision wasn't what I would call sharp or crisp. Within half an hour or so of being awake, the clarity would immediately come back in. It was so dramatic I could pinpoint the excat second my vision cleared. However, as the month wore on, I noticed it was taking longer and longer for my vision to "come in", until one day, it didn't, and since then, I haven't reliably had the crispness I had immediately post-surgery. However, at random times, which are happening less and less, I experience what I call a "burst" of clarity, which may last minutes to hours.

What prompted me to write this is something that happened last weekend. When I woke up in the middle of the night, as I am prone to doing, the vision in my right eye was remarkably blurry, so much so that I couldn't see the time on the alarm clock next to the bed. I panicked, put some drops in, and somehow went back to sleep. Waking in the morning, the blurriness had cleared up. This happened once more a few nights later. I figured it may be dryness, but I got myself back to my doctor to verify.

He said it's not dryness; that my eyes actually do not seem or look dry. When I asked if it was regression, he said, that "true" regression is extremely rare (at least in his experience). He said my vision could get worse yet, stay the same, or improve. He said the reason I was 20/20 immediately post-lasik was because of "swelling". So I wasn't "truly" at 20/20. Now that the swelling is decreasing, the true correction is coming through. Does this make sense? He couldn't really explain the intense blurriness I experienced those couple of nights. He just said, "You're healing."

So, at almost two months out, I'm now seeing 20/30: about 20/25 in the left, and 20/30 in the right. In diopters, I'm about a -1.5 in the right, and -.75 in the left. Amazingly, my brain has adjusted to the difference in the two eyes and I don't really notice it. Because I know what 20/20 is like, though, I find the 20/30 vision not quite crisp enough. The real kicker is that my night vision, which improved dramatically in the first 2 weeks after lasik, has gone downhill. I'm back to glare, halos, starbursts, you name it (which, by the way, I had before lasik as well because of my high myopia). Is the decrease in night vision a result of the residual error?

All that being said, I'm thrilled to be able to see. It was the best decision for me, and I feel happier becasue of it. These few little bumps are annoying, though. And I worry my vision will further decrease. I'm not sure how I feel yet about retreatment. Is it too early to assess the possibility of me having to be retreated? how common is regression? Could I have been undercorrected? Aren't they supposed to account for that with the laser?

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

[overcorrectedjw]

From what I've read, regression is very common when moving from such a high prescription. As for taking that into account with the initial surgery, it would appear that the answer is yes - it is taken into account. However, you'll read that everyone heals differently, so that predicting the amount of regression is far from an exact science. For what it's worth, it's much better to be slightly undercorrected (as you are now) than being overcorrected (as I am). Your situation is easier to correct. Given the information (regarding your healing) from the first surgery, your surgeon should be able to better plan for the outcome with your retreatment. It's normal to be fearful of retreatment (uncertainty, feeling that you don't want to press your luck). I felt the same way. Then, I stepped back and told myself that I was being irrational. The risk from retreatment is actually less than the initial surgery, as a lesser degree of correction is needed and the flaps can be lifted. Good luck.

[vj]

hi cateyes,
reading through your lasik experience, I felt as if someone was telling me my own experience.
I got zyoptix 6.5 months back. Pre op I was 7.5 both eyes (yes pretty much bat blind myself). Next day after surgery I was reading 20/20, may be little bit better and was quite happy for the same. However, call it regression/undercorrection, vision did not feel very clear after a couple of days and I found out that there was still some prescription left (1.5 R, .5 left).
I am having ghostings, starbursts to this day. I was to get retreated last month (mrch) but postponed it till june, as I have my university exams in May.
What I have come to know, reading forums, people's experiences over these few months is that regression with other post lasik issues is pretty common and comparatively more specially with patients who have had a high prescription like you and me.
So dont be disheartened. Getting a functional vision without the glasses/contacts is a great thing. I think its still early fo you to think of retreatment. I would suggest you talk to your surgeon regarding this. As any surgery, retreatment has its share of risk but is definitely less than the first surgery.

[bethbeth]

Hello there. I had lasik 8months ago, prescription around -5 with around -1 astigmatism in both eyes, not as bad as your prescription, but my progress followed a similar path, in that I had super vision initially but around 6weeks once I came off the drops and my eyes continued healing, I lost that clarity. I was pretty upset as I now need glasses sometimes. The residual shortsightedness is small but significant. Regression does happen. I also believe some surgeons err on the side of slight undercorrection (and age may play a part), but also I've read that high myopia is more likely to regress. I do find the slight myopia makes the starbursting worse.
Like you, I'm still glad I had it done, but there are problems that some of us get that the adverts dont tell you about. I realise what a trauma it is for the eyes, so in a way it's not surprising that many of us dont have instant and constant supervision. Vision is a fluctuating thing. Tiredness, dryness, age, all have a bearing. Make the most of your new unaided vision, and rest your eyes as much as you need. Good luck if you need an enhancement.