RK eye surgery years ago - do you have any problems now
 

Twenty-some years ago had RK eye surgery....back before they had Lasik....just wondering if anyone has had problems since. At the time they thought you would be able to go without glasses for the rest of your life (except for readers).

Our son had it done in his 20's...he's 45 now (I know not a "senior"). He's done very well but says he's thinking he's soon going to need cheater's. So that's 20 years so far of doing well.

About 20 yrs. ago I was working at an eye surgicenter and our boss, opthamologist, offered us free RK surgery. I had my left eye done first, which turned out very well, and a year later had the right eye done. The right eye developed astigmatism which I did not have previous to the surgery, a possibility that I was aware of. Earlier, I was able to get by with only reading glasses, but the astigmatism has worsened, so that I need prescription glasses to drive. My concern now is what is the integrity of the cornea when I eventually need cataract surgery. RK involved actual cuts on the cornea to flatten the cornea. This procedure was the precursor to Lasik.

The measurement tools are getting better and better.
Largo Cataract Surgery and Removal St. Petersburg | Clearwater Cataract Surgeon Tampa Bay | Eye Institute of West Florida

The problem I had following my RK, which I had done is the 90's, is over correction or over healing. Basicly.

My vision was perfect for the first 5 yrs. Then instead of needing correction for myopia, I developed presbyopia. I went from near sighted to far sighted. I need correction for EVERYTHING.
I currently wear progressive lenses which give the distance and reading correction I need.
I can't tolerate contacts any more due to dry eyes. So it's back to full time glasses.

But those 5 yrs with out them were awesome!!

I've talked to several opthomologists over the years and they all agree that the results of RK years later are quite varied. Lasix has been much more predictable in outcomes. Maybe I should have waited. But I was super happy for those first 5 years.

Have to add a Post Script.

My condition is not "presbyopia", that is the normal age related far sightedness that causes us to need readers.

RK was done to correct "myopia" or near sightedness. The ability to see up close but not as well far away.

I was actually legally blind without corrective lens. 20/600. The RK can often, and did in my case, cause "progressive hyperopia" where I need "far sighted" correction for not only things close up (reading etc) but distance as well. My eyes over healed and the correction went from "Myopia" prior to surgery to "Hyperopia" after a few years, which is the opposite of "Myopia" or near sightedness. I just "miss remembered" the details. Good times!!

I am just glad my vision can be corrected with glasses and that my vision does not hold me back from anything I really want to do. Very thankful indeed!

I had RK in 1987...never had any complications and haven't worn glasses since then...

I had LASIK surgery on my left eye only in 2002. Good result. My problem is that I may need cataract surgery in the future. I do not have the corneal pre-Lasik measurements which could affect the outcome. The point is, if you have surgery on your eyes, make sure you have the pre-surgical/laser etc measurements.

You are so fortunate that your RK was successfull long term!!

No guarantees in life. Even though my vision correction only lasted a few years. I'm glad I did it!

I had it in 2001. It didn't work....in fact made my eyesight worse.

The cost at that time about $1400 per eye. All money was refunded and the clinic payed for my contacts and glasses for about 10 years.

I had "ALK" surgery in 95 on both eyes for severe nearsightedness. I don't know if this is also called RK. I was told this would correct my nearsightedness and I would not have to wear my coke-bottle glasses anymore. Ended up with double vision...I've had to put Pilocarpine in both eyes ever since to constrict pupils so images are "flattened out" and I've had no night vision since the surgeries. I went to several surgeons over the years who told me there was no way to correct the effects of the surgeries. I went to Ocala Eye the beginning of 2014 and the surgeon there had no idea whether any future surgeries...should I develop cataracts...would be affected because of the previous surgergies. She said she had not operated on anybody who had previous surgery. I sure wouldn't have this again. I don't know if this answers your question or not. If you find a doctor who understands previous surgeries please let me know.

To Dottie 105. I had almost the same story as you. Legally blind to awesome eyesight for about a decade. Now I have multiple eye problems and my vision affects the choices I make. My vision became severely bad for a while about 20 years after RK, then began to improve. Much of my distance vision returned to normal. I didn't even need glasses for it , but I couldn't read. I have made the best of all possibilities. I needed cataract surgery. I had the right eye done and my vision was terrible at first. Two years have passes my vision has improved considerably. I wear glasses to drive , for sports , and for reading. I still have limitations because of other eye problems, but often life is normal. It seems like it is improving the same way it did before so I wonder if the bad vision will eventually improve to normal. , rather than having good results after surgery and then having them become hyper myopic as happened to many other RK patients.