Residual hyperopia after PKR – what number should I actually consider, and could I be making things worse by constantly testing my vision? Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice from people who have had PKR or from optometrists/ophthalmologists.
I had PKR in 2021 to correct -2.75 D in my right eye and -1.75 D in my left eye.
Unfortunately, my recovery wasn’t straightforward. About 3 weeks after surgery, I got a pollen particle trapped in my right eye, which led to an infection. Because of that, I had to use antibiotic eye drops much longer than originally planned. Fortunately, the infection resolved, and my ophthalmologist says my corneas are healthy today (no haze or ectasia).
My surgeon explained that he preferred to slightly overcorrect rather than risk leaving me myopic. He didn’t intentionally want me to become hyperopic, but I still don’t fully understand why he chose that approach.
I wasn’t offered LASIK because my eyes were already too dry, and I still have dry eyes today.
Overall, my distance vision is pretty good. I can drive, watch TV, and function without glasses most of the time.
However, I experience eye strain, especially when using my iPhone, reading, working on a computer, or sometimes even watching TV with subtitles. I can see the subtitles, but after a while my eyes become tired and uncomfortable.
Recently, I had a cycloplegic refraction (using Skiacol/cyclopentolate), which measured about +1.50 D of hyperopia in my right eye. My ophthalmologist prescribed +0.75 D instead because he said I still accommodate part of that hyperopia.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve also developed a bad habit of constantly comparing each eye by closing one eye and then the other. When I do that, my right eye often seems slightly blurrier. Letters look a little less sharp and slightly washed out compared with my left eye. I’m wondering whether I’m simply noticing something that my brain would normally ignore in everyday binocular vision.
Another thing I’m struggling with is that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life constantly putting glasses on and taking them off depending on what I’m doing. Since I see well enough for most daily activities without glasses, I’m not sure when I should actually wear them.
My questions are:
Which number actually reflects my vision? Should I think of myself as having +1.50 D, since that’s what was measured under cycloplegia, or +0.75 D, since that’s the prescription I was given?
Is it common for a surgeon to prefer a slight overcorrection after PKR rather than risk leaving residual myopia?
Could the infection and prolonged antibiotic treatment have influenced the final refractive outcome, or is that unlikely?
Can mild residual hyperopia mainly cause eye strain and fatigue without causing obvious distance blur?
At 33 years old, if I stop constantly comparing each eye, is it likely that my visual system will naturally accommodate and that I’ll stop noticing the difference so much? Or is the difference I’m seeing likely to remain noticeable regardless?
My ophthalmologist told me to wear my +0.75 glasses when using screens. Does that mean just my phone and computer, or should I also wear them when watching TV with subtitles if that’s when I experience eye strain?
Since I don’t want to spend my day constantly putting glasses on and taking them off, how would you handle a case like mine? Would you wear the glasses only when symptoms appear, or more consistently?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a similar experience or from eye care professionals.
Thanks in advance!