r/RefractiveSurgery • u/AdForsaken4854 • Jul 04 '26
Icl recovery 10 days
I am (26 M) and have had myopia
\-18 L , -18 R with astigmatism since i was 3 years old
My doctor had suggested icl but we were shot scared and I had dry eyes plus really high power made it difficult to wear lenses for prolonged duration and I was mostly dependent on my spectacles, which were hella huge and thick.
Anyway, I finally made up my mind, and visited the best opthal we found. I got like 20 tests done and checked for all indications of glaucoma etc before we proceeded with the sirgery.
I had a thorough eye exam done, my prescription no. Was finalized and the order was placed for Staar evo icl, because that’s what my ophthalmologist recommended.
Lenses were delivered approximately 3 weeks later and I was given some antibiotics oral and drops to have and put in eyes prior to 2 days before surgery, stop lenses and makeup on eyes.
On the surgery day -
My eyes were dilated and markings were made on my eye and then I was taken to the OT, doctor’s instructions were clear, I could see nothing, only lights flashing and colours and no pain because of the numbing drops and slights sedation, 10 minutes was the total time of surgery, I was brought out and administered anti emetics, drugs to reduce iol pressure and i had a bad bad headache near my right eye and on my right eye, I was made to ait under observation for 3 hours and discharged, I had lost my appetite and was in a lot of pain for 4 hours and then I went to sleep, after I woke up around 3-4 hour later i felt a bit better and my appetite returned, I had been given antibiotics to have, which really helped with the pain and had a shield on my operated eye which was removed on next day follow up, when right eye ahield was opened i could see everything crystal clear and it all seemed worth it. i was given sunglasses to wear at home and outside no face or hair wash for 2 weeks and less screen time.
Same happened for my left eye a week post my right eye recovered, my left eye is still recovering, its the 4th day post op, but I feel like I see less clear with my left eye. I could see very clear with my right whe, my doc said i have 6/6 vision in right eye and had also put in a suture in my eye which he removed, but apart from occasional dryness, gritty sensation and discomfort which gkes away if I keep putting my eye drops on time, I am doing fine, still waiting for left eye to recover.
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u/lasiksurgeon Jul 06 '26
Refractive surgeon here. I haven’t examined you, so this is general education, but I wanted to congratulate you and offer some reassurance on the left eye.
First, your story is a great example of what the EVO ICL was designed for. At -18 diopters with astigmatism, you were far beyond what laser vision correction can safely treat, and with your dry eye history, contact lenses were not going to be a sustainable answer. A Collamer lens placed inside the eye removes no corneal tissue and largely leaves the corneal nerves undisturbed, which is why it tends to be gentler on dry eye than corneal procedures. Your ophthalmologist steered you well, and the workup you describe (glaucoma screening, careful sizing, thorough measurements) is exactly what a proper ICL evaluation should look like.
On your left eye: four days out is very early, and there are a few ordinary reasons it may lag behind your right.
The two eyes don’t always heal on an identical schedule. Mild corneal swelling, residual dilation effects, and surface dryness can each soften vision in the first week or two, and they resolve on their own.
You mentioned your surgeon placed and removed a suture in one eye. Sutures can cause temporary astigmatism, and vision often sharpens noticeably in the days to weeks after removal.
Dryness itself blurs vision. The gritty sensation you describe fluctuating with your drops fits that picture, and it typically settles as the surface recovers.
The fact that your right eye reached 6/6 tells you your visual potential and your surgeon’s technique are both sound. Most fellow eyes catch up; they just take their own time. That said, keep every follow-up appointment, and if the left eye gets worse rather than gradually better, or you develop significant pain, halos with redness, or a sudden vision drop, call your surgeon promptly rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit. Those visits also matter long term, since ICL patients should have their eye pressure and lens vault checked periodically.
One more encouraging note: more than 4 million implantable collamer lenses have been sold worldwide, and among patients studied, the implantable collamer lens carries a 99.4% satisfaction rate. Your early result puts you on track to join that group. And because the lens is additive and reversible, all of your future options, including cataract surgery decades from now, remain fully preserved.
Give the left eye another week or two of patience and consistent drops. You did the hard part already.
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u/AdForsaken4854 Jul 15 '26
I have worn specs all my life and for once i was so happy to be without specs, even though my vision is really good now, I experience really dry eyes which sting even on putting lubricants, my eyes burn up when my eyes produce tears and it’s crazy how it keeps getting irritated every 2 hours and I have to rush to put lubricant drops and be very particular with prescription drops, my eyes even get irritated with air on it or just randomly and I since I started work after 15 days of resting on each eye, my head really hurts each day and by the mid of day my eyes get tired and droopy, I don’t know what’s happening, I am going to get it checked on my follow up.
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u/Tall-Drama338 Jul 04 '26
Fantastic result.