Blood vessels growing in PRK cornea

These 2 photos are of the right eye of a patient that underwent PRK laser eye surgery. Look carefully and you can see the resulting corneal haze just opposite the pupil. Look even more carefully and you can see a meshwork of blood vessels on the center and center right in these photos. The cornea is the only tissue in the body devoid of blood vessels. These blood vessels grew onto the cornea as a response to the inflammation created by the laser. This eye was eventually fit with a scleral lens which is providing this patient with clear vision with this eye. In addition, some of these blood vessels have receded.