scared

[MDK]

Hi everyone, I am new here, but not new to Dry eyes! I am going to a specialist on Monday and am completely terrified. I have some (old) scarring on my eyes that had not interfered with my vision, until now. It is starting to affect my long distance vision. I don't know how dry my eyes are compared to anyone else's, no one has ever really said. My eye doctor mentioned some kind of laser surgery as a possibility for removing the scarring. I am most afraid that this will not be an option because of the dry eye, and that they will have no help for me. I have not tried restasis yet, and I suspect the specialist will want to try that first. Anyway, just wanted to talk to someone who has had anything similar. No one else I know, has this. Thanks so much for listening!

[Blinks]

MDK

You're in good company. Glad to "meet" you and sorry you are going through this, too. I have scarring on my eyes which interferes with my vision and causes dry eye issues, too. Will send you a PM (private message).

Consider the dry eye may possibly be DUE to the scarring... the scars are raised and the blink action kind of rubs on the scars, and pushes tears into the valleys between the scars so the scars get dry and irritated. That can cause foreign object sensation where the dry scars feel gritty and sandy. Maybe this sounds familiar? And night time vision can be an adventure--bright halos, starbursts, and multiple images. This night time adventure is caused (in my case) when the pupil dilates in the darkness to allows more light in, then the scars act as prisms on the surface of the eye causing light scatter. Florescent lights in offices or big box stores may cause a similar effect.

So yes, there are others with this confounding issue. And it's possible a procedure (PTK or blade ablation) may remove the scarring, improve the vision, and reduce (or possibly eliminate) the dry eye, if the scars are the sole cause of the dry eye.

Good luck with your appointment. Please keep us posted.

[MDK]

Oh Blinks! (I love that name!) Thanks so much for your information. I did have somewhat dry eyes always, but it is possible that the scarring isn't helping. The scars are actually out in the periphery of my eye, but the doctor seems to think they are causing vision problems after all this time. It helps a lot just to know someone with some actual experiences!

[Blinks]

Just sent you a PM. Click on the top of the screen, for Notifications. That will navigate you to the message.
My scars are outside the visual axis, which makes surgery less risky, but all eye surgery carries some risk. My doc gave me a 5% chance of a worse visual outcome. That said, I have a bunch of other pre-existing issues. Your doc should be able to address the risk of adverse outcome question, and risk of future recurrence. Also, guided by a previous adverse reaction, I'd ask about any / all prescribed pre- and post-surgical eyedrops to make sure they don't contain BAK, a really bad preservative that is best avoided if possible.

[MDK]

I will! Thanks so much!