I was lured by a full-page Maltese newspaper article to undergo PRK in 1994. The article carried the name of a very reputable surgeon who eventually carried out the surgery. I was declared a good candidate in spite of my -10 plus dioptre myopic vision. The treatment took just a few seconds.
The aftermath was - and still is - a minor tragedy to me. I lost my corrected vision in the treated eye. No prescription lens could correct my vision in the treated eye any longer, due to the very irregular astigmatism that developed after PRK. I lost the ability to do close work, or read with the treated eye. I am functionally blind in the treated eye, as a result of PRK.
The years since surgery have been very difficult, as I trekked from one surgeon to another, hoping against hope for a solution to my misery. The cost of this tragedy has already run into thousands of dollars already.
Since then I learnt that the FDA did not even formally approve of the treatment at the time, and even now, safety approval is limited to a maximum of -7.5 dioptres. I was never told of the risks involved before surgery, as I would have never elected to undergo treatment had I known the odds.
The surgeon involved is being currently sued for negligence and malpractice in the Maltese courts.