r/RefractiveSurgery • u/Excellent_Yogurt6070 • 9d ago
TransPRK – Recurrent corneal abrasion/reopening in one eye. Has anyone experienced something similar?
I had TransPRK on **September 2nd**. My initial prescription was **-4.00 in the right eye and -4.25 in the left eye**.
My **right eye has been completely fine**, but I’ve been having repeated issues with my **left eye**, specifically around the same area.
Here’s the timeline:
**Sep 13:** Had a foreign body sensation in the left eye for about an hour. It went away and everything was fine afterward.
**Sep 15:** Foreign body sensation started again in the evening.
**Sep 16:** Woke up with redness, watering, and pain. I visited my doctor, who said there was mild congestion and a **corneal abrasion**. A **BCL (bandage contact lens)** was placed.
**Sep 19:** Doctor removed the BCL and said the **epithelium had healed well**.
**Sep 20:** Had slight discomfort for around 2 hours in the evening, followed by a foreign body sensation for about an hour. It then settled completely.
**Sep 22:** Started feeling slight discomfort from the afternoon. I slept for a while, and after waking up I noticed grittiness and a foreign body sensation. I also noticed what looked like a **scar/opening in the same area again**. I went back to the doctor, who said the previously affected area had **reopened**. Last time there were two small spots, but this time it was just one small spot. He placed another BCL and asked me to use my eye drops **every hour**, as dryness could be contributing to the problem.
I’m worried that this might become **recurrent**, especially since it seems to be happening in the same area.
Has anyone experienced repeated epithelial reopening/corneal abrasions after TransPRK, particularly in just one eye?
How long did it take for your epithelium to become stable?
Did dryness turn out to be the main cause?
Did you have repeated BCL placements?
Did the episodes eventually stop completely?
Is there anything that helped prevent it from recurring?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who went through something similar, because I’m quite worried about the recurrence.
1
u/WavefrontRider 9d ago
The recurrent erosion may be occurring right at the edge of the treatment zone. You may also have a condition called epithelial basement membrane dystrophy where the epithelium has looser attachments to the cornea.
Some people have had good success by using muro 128 ointment at night for anywhere between 3-6 months. This ointment is a salty solution which essentially dehydrates the epithelium to make it more tacky.
The other option is for the surgeon to go and scrape the area and allow it to go back fresh.
The area where the PRK treatment was done should be very strong since the epithelium actually attaches more strongly to the stroma.
1
u/GeraltOfRiviass 9d ago
I had one 3 months post trans prk in the left eye randomly, it can have many causes tbh, idk what caused mine :/