Visian ICL Disaster - when to remove them

[Help4033]

I wish I had read some of the posts on this board before I underwent Visian ICL implant five weeks ago. Since then, I have had terrible problems. My eyes hurt all the time. My eye pressures are now 26/24 (from 15/15). Allegedly it is due to me being a steroid responder. I had been on Pre-Forte for the last four weeks. My eye pressure was fine in each eye 1 week after the implant, and only went up about 3 weeks after I started. Yet I can't get off the steroid drop because I've developed a low-grade inflammation (the inflammation returned after I stopped the initial four weeks of Pre-Forte, and I am now on the 2nd round of steroid drop). I am on Azopt to control the eye pressure, but it doesn't seem to be working as the eye pressures remain high.

I am now officially terrified, and would like to talk to others who have experienced similar problems. My doctor keeps saying that everything is fine, and yet I feel worse and worse every day. I feel dizzy and my head hurts a lot. Officially I am still seeing 20/20, but things in general appear blurry.

I am still hoping that the inflammation will go away and my life will go back to normal again. But I must face the possibility that I’ve made a horrible, irreversible mistake. I know several people in the board have had the implants removed. I'd like to know the following:
(1) When do you decide enough is enough and you need to take out the implants?
(2) What are the consequences of removing the implants? Has anybody taken the implants out and not developed rapidly developed cataracts afterwards?

Please help me. I am desperate!

[jaysta36]

Mate you need to ride it out it took over 2months for my inflammation to chill out,just finish the drops off,dont go on anymore after,it will get better,i had pain all the tims an ache like i have worn my contacts for hours,pain maybe caused also from dry eye from surgery,Flaxseed oil helped me alot teaspoon in morning and night trust me will help alot,when i had it done i thought my vision be there straight away like these glossy magazines say but hell no,major operation really take long time to repair,my vision took up to 3.5months to get better,and to get clear,and still getting better now i have 20-15 in both eyes,my eyes do still still get sore occasional i use a dry eye drops boots own own is great stuff.
You are so just started out on recovery trust me it will get better give at least 2 months for sorness to go then 3.5-4 months for vision,then 6 months for slight changes,dont even think of having them removed until after these time scales,
Your brain has to learn to see again another way like when you are a babe ,also it took me along time to adapt with them in my eye felt like they where like contact lenses sore from over wearing,that will get better to .trust me you need to just ride it out,get flaxseed oil,will lower your pressure make eye fell better,but you need to keep of painkillers dry you eye out and raise the pressure,use dry eye drops boots own brand worked wonders for me all the best

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

Please get a second opinion.  You should not have inflammation.

Dr. O.