First of all I am sorry about my english.
I will try to make it understandable.
I wanted to have refractive surgery a long time ago.
I had my first check in surgeon clinic in 1995, being a soldier in Israeli army.
The surgeon said that I am a "perfect candidate", but the army didn't allow me to have the surgery.
So I waited up untill 1997, when I had second check in the surgeon clinic and I still was "perfect canditade".
My eyesight before the surgery was:
R:-7.5 with very slight asstigmatism
L:-7.5 with very slight asstigmatism
The asstigmation was so slight that I never had glasses with cilinder.
I was corrected to 20/20 with glasses with PERFECT NIGHT VISION.
I wanted to have LASIK because glasses were all the time uncomfortable for me, some times I was breaking 3-4 pairs of glasses during a year.
(And I have been wearing a glasses since I was 8 years old).
So I had LASIK on my right eye in September 1997. I was overcorrected to +2. I had severe halos and starbursts at night.
I was very scared, but my surgeon said "Thats ok, you are in the healing process".
I had to use steroid eye drops during 3 weeks and overcorrection regressed to plato!
But I still had severe halos and starbursts, that were explained by my surgeon as "healing process".
In november 1997 I had LASIK on my left eye.
I was corrected to plato right after the surgery and I had PERFECT VISION in my left eye during first 2 days after the surgery (without any night time problems).
But on the 3-th day in the night I started to see multiple images in my left eye and severe GASH.
Of course my surgeon said that all these symptoms are healing process a week after surgery, month after surgery, 3 months after surgery, 6 months after surgery...
You know what is funny in all this story?-I was beliving in what he was saying. I had terrible vision at night and also not very good vision at days... but I still believed in all the things that he was telling me.
I didnt use to go out - it was too painful for me to see multiple images and ghosts.
I saw 2 professors on lectures, I coudnt see what he was writing on the blackboard (white on black created multiple images on the blackboard).
10 months post op appointment - I have told to the surgeon that the "healing process" seems too long for me, it doesn't make any sence.
The surgeon told me that my eyes look very well, that I NEVER HAD SO GOOD EYESIGHT AS I HAVE NOW, that he can not underestand my complains.
He told me also "Go, and don't come back. I don't know why you are saying that you see GASH and multiple images, but the reason is NOT YOUR EYES OR SURGERY!"
During 2 months after that I tried to convince myself that my eyesight is good....that I do not see halos, starbursts and multiple images.......As you underestand, it wasn't very successful.
A year after the surgery I came back to the surgeon and told him "I can't live this way, if you don't know what is going on with me, send me to somebody who knows".
He said that he is sure that everything is OK with my eyes, but he sent me to the chief surgeon of the clinic.
The chief surgeon checked me and told me that he can not find a reason for my problems. But he sent me to performe eye test (Hess screen) to eye center that was working with my medical insurance.
The technician which had to perform the test said that this test had no meaning of monocular diplopia and was not connected at all to my symptoms.... But he sent me to another ophtalmologist in this center. This another ophatlmologist sent me to one another..... I was checked by 4(!) ophatlmologists during 3 months, several times.
At the end they told me that most probably my problem is small ablation zone and large pupils!
I came back to the chief surgeon with this answer and had my first(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
papillometry 1 year and 5 months post op!
My pupils are 8mm in dim light and I have 4.5-5mm ablation zone performed on NIDEK.
This chief surgeon prescribed me glasses with overcorrection that reduced a little night time problems, but only a little bit.
This chief surgeon prescribed me pilocarpine - I was too nearsighted from 1%, 0.5%, 0.25%.
He prescribed me Dapiprazole (it took me 6 months to buy it, since that time it wasn't available in Israel and I had to ask my relatives in USA to help me). But I had allergic reaction from Dapiprazole.
After more than 2 years since the surgery he said me that he will be able to fix my problems about a year later.
I waited a year......without driving, without going outside at night, being very very depressed.
I did some research and I saw that the surgery that he wanted to perform on me will not resolve my problems......it just could help a little.
So a year later I had an appointment with this chief surgeon and I asked him about this, and he said that enhancement with bigger optical zone would not resolve my problems (this was an opposite to what he said a year ago!).
I have seen on SE that Alphagan helping people with my condition,so I have tried it also- I had sever dry eyes and had to stop using it.
So now I have:
R:-0.00, -1.0 asstigm.
L:-1.5, -0.5 asstigm
I wear glasses.
I have terrible night vision: GASH and multiple images in both eyes, but more in the left eye.
I have a slight double vision in day light also.
I am seeking now for contact lenses solution.
And I hope that future technology will allow SAFE enlargment of optical zone.
I JUST WANT TO WARN EVERY "PERFECT CANDIDATE": I WAS TOLD THAT I AM PERFECT CANDIDATE WHEN I HAD NO CHANCE FOR GOOD VISION AFTER SURGERY! NOT EVEN ONE CHANCE!
I HAD 8mm PUPILS AND 4.5-5mm ABLATION ZONE!

barabashka2000@hotmail.com