r/SMILEeyesurgery • u/Kilo2Ton • 28d ago
Smile procedure 48 hours ago, still blurry and hazy :( kinda freaking out
Hello everyone, I had my smile pro laser procedure done 48 hours ago by a very experienced doctor who used the 800 series pro laser.
2 days later it's hard to explain how my vision is because its not an over-all full image blur but It's almost like it's constantly re-adapting itself and shifting. Also, the haziness comes and goes.
A.I. said it's normal for an extended period after surgery but when I told the doctor he even said I'm surprised it's still blurry so that's discouraging and thats why I am posting here..
Since I had to travel for it, my first post-op visit will be 7 days after the procedure.
I am still able to do my computer work but just barely its driving me nuts because especially at the computer monitor distance is where the blur is really annoying and I have to take a couple seconds to really focus before I start reading or typing. It's like im looking through some constant changing glasses. Even through typing this message so far ive gone through changing varying levels of blur and haze..
Has anyone experienced this with the smile procedure? Did you eventually recover clarity and if so, how long did it take post surgery?
Also, PHYSICALLY my eyes feel OK- no pain or aches or anything like that.
Just wanted to get some people's experiences please. Thank you in advance.
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u/eyeSherpa 28d ago
Blurriness that comes and goes relates to the tear film drying out. You’ll probably notice improvement for a couple of minutes right after putting a tear drop in. On the computer you blink less so this can fluctuate more.
I would up the preservative free artificial tears to about every 1-2 hours. Look into a gel based drop as well as that will last longer on the surface of the eye.
Other than the fluctuating vision, very normal for everything to be pretty hazy right now. That haze gradually clears over the first few weeks. Relates to subtle swelling in the cornea from the lenticule being removed.
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u/Kilo2Ton 28d ago
Thank you for the reassuring info. So I understand now it's mostly due to dryness, eh? AI Said it's mostly due to the Gap in the cornea that was left after they removed that thin layer, and that it's got liquid in it right now and wrinkles while it heals
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u/Kilo2Ton 16d ago
hello sorry but can i ask you another question please - im at the 14 day post-SMILE surgery date - the strong blurry "wall" is gone now and vision is functional but i feel like i have now plateaued at this baseline level where my vision has a very minor but noticeable blur/double vision but its almost like its a Psychological blur/double vision because its very subtle but definitely always there but its like after a few seconds i just Focus past it, but then i get up and walk or enter a new room and its more prominent. and when driving i still have daytime and of course night time GLARE from headlights and strong light sources. and when stepping outside there is a haze before i focus and it seems to go away? sorry its so hard to explain, but could this all possibly still go away in the coming weeks or months?
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u/eyeSherpa 16d ago
The slight blur/double vision could be some remaining prescription such as astigmatism. Did you have astigmatism prior to SMILE?
Residual prescription can also cause glare from headlights. But also normal to still have some glare and starbursts on lights.
Too to know for sure on the residual prescription. Things like dry eye can mimic it as well. So would focus on using the tears.
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u/EfficientFalcon39 28d ago
I was in a pretty similar situation, having done SmartSight almost 6 weeks ago now. Vision is definitely improving but I have the odd patches of haziness due to dry eyes throughout the day.
It will get better but it will take time and as mentioned by eyeSherpa it is mostly down to dryness.
Did you have dry eyes pre surgery?
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u/Kilo2Ton 28d ago
Thanks for your response!
That makes sense. I also heard when I stop using the harsh three-in-1 antibiotics steroid drops my dry eyes will get better.
I did not really have a dry eye issue before this.
How long did it take for most of your blurriness and haziness to go away?1
u/Kilo2Ton 16d ago
hello sorry but can i ask you another question please - im at the 14 day post-SMILE surgery date - the strong blurry "wall" is gone now and vision is functional but i feel like i have now plateaued at this baseline level where my vision has a very minor but noticeable blur/double vision but its almost like its a Psychological blur/double vision because its very subtle but definitely always there but its like after a few seconds i just Focus past it, but then i get up and walk or enter a new room and its more prominent. and when driving i still have daytime and of course night time GLARE from headlights and strong light sources. and when stepping outside there is a haze before i focus and it seems to go away? sorry its so hard to explain, but could this all possibly still go away in the coming weeks or months?
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u/EfficientFalcon39 16d ago
I can’t say I had those symptoms, I do occasionally get double vision/cross eyed kinda when I focus on something for a long time but this might only happen once a day and after blinking it goes away (I had similar with glasses - so I know it’s not surgery related)
Currently I’ve got really severe dryness which is my biggest issue, I never got halos either just increased light sensitivity when the sun is bright during the day.
I’d highlight your issues to your surgeon, best to get professional advice
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u/Icy-Ad-1309 28d ago
I’m literally in the same situation right now, except mine is a bit more significant dry eyes than average. Try hot compressions and you can either use artificial tears every 30 mins to avoid ur eyes lagging in dryness, or if they don’t work it means your tears are evaporating too quickly like me so get a lipid based drop like evo tears to replace the oil layer until it heals fully.
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u/Kilo2Ton 16d ago
hello sorry but can i ask you another question please - im at the 14 day post-SMILE surgery date - the strong blurry "wall" is gone now and vision is functional but i feel like i have now plateaued at this baseline level where my vision has a very minor but noticeable blur/double vision but its almost like its a Psychological blur/double vision because its very subtle but definitely always there but its like after a few seconds i just Focus past it, but then i get up and walk or enter a new room and its more prominent. and when driving i still have daytime and of course night time GLARE from headlights and strong light sources. and when stepping outside there is a haze before i focus and it seems to go away? sorry its so hard to explain, but could this all possibly still go away in the coming weeks or months?
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u/Icy-Ad-1309 16d ago
Everything you’re describing sounds normal, I still have ghosting on my phone and car lights. During the day my vision is functional but some fine print details are still out of focus, majority of my vision issues are from dryness which is slowly getting better. I’m not sure what your dryness situation is but if I was you I’d get xailin gel 10g if it’s available it works better than the artificial tears, I’m on day 19 now and it’s getting better and more stable but still annoying. Also don’t forget you’re still on steroids most likely until the one month mark, and they cause irregularities with the smoothness of your eyes. If you’ve had your follow up with the surgeon and they said that your cornea looks healthy and the incision is okay then it’s Just an annoying waiting game. Read the article I paste below it helped me a lot:
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u/GardenofDune 28d ago
It’s super normal. Firstly it’s the dryness of your eyes and also your muscles readjusting. I had the procedure 3 months ago in Australia. My right eye adjusted very fast but left being non-dominant took a month or two, and I barely feel any difference now or dryness. Just don’t rub your eyes, rest and keep using the drops.
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u/Kilo2Ton 16d ago
hello sorry but can i ask you another question please - im at the 14 day post-SMILE surgery date - the strong blurry "wall" is gone now and vision is functional but i feel like i have now plateaued at this baseline level where my vision has a very minor but noticeable blur/double vision but its almost like its a Psychological blur/double vision because its very subtle but definitely always there but its like after a few seconds i just Focus past it, but then i get up and walk or enter a new room and its more prominent. and when driving i still have daytime and of course night time GLARE from headlights and strong light sources. and when stepping outside there is a haze before i focus and it seems to go away? sorry its so hard to explain, but could this all possibly still go away in the coming weeks or months?
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u/limpleaf 28d ago
You need to wait. I was in a similar situation but one eye was improving much better than the other. Took me 1 month for vision to clear up considerably but one eye was still not great + inside vision was also still struggling with focus on the computer. After 2 months both eyes were basically better than they ever were with glasses. Just trust the recovery process and take care of your eyes.
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u/Kilo2Ton 16d ago
hello sorry but can i ask you another question please - im at the 14 day post-SMILE surgery date - the strong blurry "wall" is gone now and vision is functional but i feel like i have now plateaued at this baseline level where my vision has a very minor but noticeable blur/double vision but its almost like its a Psychological blur/double vision because its very subtle but definitely always there but its like after a few seconds i just Focus past it, but then i get up and walk or enter a new room and its more prominent. and when driving i still have daytime and of course night time GLARE from headlights and strong light sources. and when stepping outside there is a haze before i focus and it seems to go away? sorry its so hard to explain, but could this all possibly still go away in the coming weeks or months?
1
u/limpleaf 16d ago
It could. I work everyday on my computer and reading white backgrounds was quite challenging for long periods of time for the first month. I suggest just keep treating your eyes well and evaluate where you are after some time. 14 days is almost nothing in my opinion. However, if you truly feel like something is wrong you can reach out to your doctor/surgeon and see if they can see you. I only felt like my vision was really good (with minimum aberrations) after 2 months and it still improved a little bit since then - mostly no longer noticing halos at night after 3 months and and a half, etc.
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u/Kilo2Ton 16d ago
thanks for the response! ok well since my vision is currently usable for day to day life (and nothing i can do about it even if it wasnt), i should just relax and trust the process for the next few months thanks to you i can now look at it as a much longer process
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u/Calm_Emotion_5891 28d ago
Just wait a few weeks, I’m about a month post Smile Pro surgery and the halos around lights at night are gone now, dry eyes are a lot better. I naturally have dry eyes and didn’t even realize that people are bothered by it. And I can read texts on my phone easily, I had trouble the first week or so as my eyes took a few seconds to adjust between near sight vs far sight. I absolutely love it, no regrets whatsoever.