Dim light and night vision problems

[ds24a3]

Hi jazzy_jeff_1986, how is your sight getting on? I hope it's getting better.

I also had my eyes done nearly 2 years ago now, (-7 and -5.5 both with astigmatism) as few of us I also have night vision glares or halos. In dark rooms it almost looks like smudged photo taken with too slow shutter. It seems that focusing is much harder for me when it is dark, but if I look for a second on bright light and then back on anything in the room it is alright. Some time ago I was myself considering to do enhancement ops for both eyes but I guess I am too scared now to loose what I already have got.

Can you please tell us in some time how your sight is getting on and If you are going to do the second eye as well.

I am polish too (I've done my eyes in Cardiff, UK)
Cheers
Dawid

[jazzy_jeff_1986]

Hello,

I am now 23 day post surgery and my vision is still variable. Sometimes I think it's better some time later I scared that it's quite poor. It looks like the epithelium is still healing. At the moment my vision is a little bit foggy (I can notice it especially when looking at computer screen and so on), so both my distant and close vision isn't good yet. I hope it is going to improve soon as the epithelium will cover 100 %. I was in Polish clinic this wednesday and my doc says that everything looks good. My current refraction according to auto refractor is +0.25 with -1.00 astigmatism. Talking about night and dim light vision I have to say that I can see big improvement. Generally my dim light vision is good at the moment. Yesterday I tried night driving and although I can still notice holos around car lights with the right eye I feel that these halos are connected with healing process and they are smaller than these which I can see in the left one. Summarizing I am waiting for full recovery and hoping that my daily vision be back around "0" refraction. Best regards.

[ds24a3]

Are you going to do the other eye too? I've got free enhancement included in the price of my original surgery, and I can't decide if I want to risk what I already have, it is quite a big decision I think

[jazzy_jeff_1986]

At the moment i don't know if I'm going to do the other eye. I'm gonna wait for good recovery and only then will do the other eye. In my situation it was probably even more difficult, because I had to pay lots of money for the surgery.

[ds24a3]

I remember that when I had my operation there was this girl before me and right after it she could see perfectly, with me it was a bit longer because I had much worse defect and also astigmatism, but I am now thinking that if you already had your eyes done once and your prescription was very tiny, I am assuming that you should have see properly right after the operation, this is just my logical thinking so don't take it to serious. The point is that After my operation it took me some time about week or two to get used to the new vision (just like with new glasses) but honestly my vision changed only in few first days and since the first week up to now nothing has ever changed (no improvements or deterioration). I remember reading that other people usually have similar experience it doesn't take long to get your visions to the optimal point after the operation.

How is your eye getting on now, do you honestly can say that it has improved since right after the operation? and what can you tell about your night vision right now is it much better or even gone?

I am sorry for so many questions but I am in similar situation as you were before the op. and it is tempting me sometimes to make advantage of this free enhancement. I know, you had to pay for it but if it would be a bit more reliable and certain to get rid of halos I would not hesitate either.

[jazzy_jeff_1986]

Hi Glenn,


I am writing, because I am a little bit worried about my current vision. I am 27 days post surgery and my vision is still fuzzy. Lately I have noticed that sometimes when I look at vehicle number plates I experience some kind of double vision. It looks like I would see 2 number plates – one is pretty sharp and the other one is blurry. I think that my vision is a little better in the morning when I go to work than in the end of the day. Sometimes I think that my distant vision is pretty sharp, but some time later I think it is quite poor. My close vision, especially when I look at the computer screen is still very fuzzy. It is a little bit foggy, like I would look through a plastic shield. According to my examinations from 26th of the August I am now +0.25 D with -1.00 D astigmatism in the right eye. I am worried if it’s going to improve after 4 weeks post surgery. I have also noticed that my colors contrast is still worse than in the non-operated eye. Is it normal that almost 4 weeks post surgery my epithelium can be still little hazy? One thing is interesting: right after using TOBRADEX drops my vision is very good – both close and distant. I am wondering if it’s because that the drops are making my epithelium more smooth. What do You think? Thanks in advance.

[jazzy_jeff_1986]

ds24a3,

sorry, but I do not believe that anyone can see perfectly right after surgery. Although my prescription before re-treatment was "0" they still had to burn about 40 microns of cornea, to enlarge my optical zone. You have to remember that there is HUGE difference in methods of laser eye surgery. I had Epi-LASIK, which is surface surgery. What kind of treatment did You have? I am assuming that LASIK. After lasik many people get driving standard etc. After PRK, LASEK or Epi-LASIK they are taking off the epithelium from the eye and depends on method they are replacing it or just throwing away. The epithelium takes time to heal. I could not see properly right after surgery, because my epithelium was completely destroyed. Talking about my night and dim light vision, yes it has improved. My vison in dim light is now better than in the other eye - without any fuzz around things. My night vision is also better - starbursts are much smaller.

[ds24a3]

I can't say for other people, maybe they lie, but that is what I was told from this girl and also there is another guy who had just minor defect and he was fine right after, BUT it is just what they said, I was different and had to wait a while.

I had Wavefront LASIK with Ultralase, can't remember the machine model exactly now but I remember checking it before my treatment and it was top of the line at the time. My halos are not so severe, I mean on the street lights they are quite distinct but anything else is not so bad.

I wish you the best with your eye, I can imagine that you must be getting really worried now.

[jazzy_jeff_1986]

Hello,

My vision has improved vastly in the beginning of 6th week after surgery. Currently my daily vision both close and distant is good. My dim light vsion is much better than in non operated eye. My night vision is also better. Not perfect. but better. One thing which bothers me is some kind of double vision in the night. I am little bit worried that it is caused by astigmatism, which can appear while my pupils enlarge.

[LasikExpert]

Your assumption about astigmatism causing a doubled image when your pupil dialates is probably correct. Your doctor will be able to inform you at your next cyclopedic refraction (which is better, one or two? with the eyes dilated).

[mjos009]

Hello Jeff,
Can you please provide us an update on you current vision of your retreated eye ? I hope you are now doing well .

Are you considering of going for a retreatment in your non operated eye?


Thanks for all valuable information you share with us !

[jazzy_jeff_1986]

Hello,

A little update of my situation. I decided to do re-treatment in the left eye. I had my surgery on March the 16th. Now I am 10 weeks after treatment and a little worried, because I still do notice astigmatism in my vision. I was at oculist's lately (8 weeks post treatment) and my vision according auto-refractometer was +0.5 or 0.25 D with 0.75/1.00 D astigmatism. My reading ability from the eye chart is wasn't that bad, but letters are still fuzzy and I notice ghosting, especially in worse light conditions. I think that my vision has improved a little during last 4 weeks, but it is still quite poor. My distant vision when I am outside is good - I can read incriptions etc. from far away, but my reading ability from the computer screen is still worse than with the right eye (I can notice it especially when I am watching a movie with subtitiles or so). I have also noticed, that my vision is better in the morning after sleep when I am rested. Later during the day the astigmatism is more noticeable and bothers me more. Now a little about my night vision. My starbursts and holos are definitely smaller after re-treatment, but now I notice another visiual effect in the eye. For example when I am driving a car at night or evening I can see such an effect while looking at back light of the car in front of me. It looks like beyond the one light I can see some kind of line on the right and above the light. So it looks like the light is tripling or so. It seems that it has changed a little during last 4 weeks or so, but it is rather a gentle change. It is probably coused by astigmatism too.
Glen how do You think is my vision going to improve after 10 weeks post surgery? My treatment was epi-lasik aimed to enlarge my zone. Is my astigmatism going to get smaller? How long can it take? Thanks in advance.

[LasikExpert]

It looks like everything is going in the right direction. The visual effect at night that you describe could all be attributed to the residual astigmatism. Astigmatism means that the cornea is not spherical like the top of a ball, but is elliptical like the back of a spoon. The tip of the spoon is the astigmatism. You are seeing the light going through the tip of the spoon and being focused off center. When your pupils get small, like out of doors, light going through the tip does not reach the retina and is not "seen". You can do this in almost any environment by just turning up the lighting in the room. Even making your computer screen brighter can do the trick.

Keep us up to date!

[Ida]

Hello Jazzy Jeff.

I have read your story with great interest since I am in a similar situation to you (have halos post lasik 4 years ago) and contemplating whether to have an enhancement or not.

How are your results now you have had both eyes enhanced? Are the halos etc. gone? And is your vision in terms of prescription still good?

Best regards,

Ida

[ds24a3]

Hi guys, I had my treatment nearly 2 years ago now. Since the beginning I have halos/glare around lights in the dark environment, also what really annoyed me at the beginning is that indoors when there are only artificial lights, for example casino because this is seen there the most. When I look at the person far away let's say 15m away, I can mostly see the shadow if they are poorly lit, but what is the annoying part, it's that the bright lights behind them appears as if it's in front of them, it somehow overlays on top of them. If I strain the eyes it goes away but usually it comes back in a moment.

I had my eye test week ago in other place just to see how my eyes are, and from -7.5 and large cylinder to -1 with just slight cyl on the left eye. Right eye -5.5 cyl to 0.25 no cyl, seems very good, anyway optician said it is very good result and he said scaring is not bad, kind of the normal quality job they made.

Anyway I asked him if he would recommend an enhancement, he said no as, there is going to be a second cut rimm on the eye, and this is what in low light makes the problem, as pupils dilate and you start to see these scaring which is causing these light effects.

It is long time now since operation, and to be honest I can't really remember how I saw before it, which is good as I got used to what I see now.