PRK
AFTER YOUR PRK PROCEDURE
When you sit up in the laser suite after the treatment, you will immediately notice an improvement in your vision. You will be able to return home immediately after surgery. You'll leave the surgeon's office wearing the clear bandage contact lens, through which you can see. Depending on your surgeon's preference, you may be asked to wear an eye shield overnight too.
Do Not Rub Your Eyes
For the first three to five days, avoid rubbing your eyes; doing so could dislodge your contact lens bandage. Also, stay away from swimming pools and hot tubs for at least a week after surgery. The chlorine and other chemicals could irritate your eyes, delay healing, and increase your risk of infection.
Discomfort
Often, patients who have undergone PRK experience twenty-four to forty-eight hours of mild to moderate discomfort until the epithelium regenerates and the surface of the eye regains its smooth contour. Typically, patients report that it feels as if they've scratched their eye. Others report feeling as if they have a grain of sand in their eye. These side effects are normal and should fade as the healing process continues. Meanwhile, to lessen these sensations, you will be given anti-inflammatory drops. You may also be given special anesthetic drops to relieve the pain. Oral pain medications can also be prescribed.
You will also be given antibiotic eyedrops to use for several days to minimize the risk of infection. Do not use any eyedrops that your eye doctor has not approved.
Blurred Vision
Vision typically actually worsens during the first few days while the epithelium regenerates. You will note improved vision that fluctuates quite a bit during the first week after surgery but slowly stabilizes after that.
You may notice that your eyes seem especially sensitive to light. Or you could see more glare or even halos around light at night. Expect that you very well may need to wear glasses for reading or driving for a while after your surgery until your Best corrected vision is realized.
The exact timing of achieving good functional vision after PRK is variable and hinges on many factors, including the degree of your correction and the speed at which your eye heals. Some patients are comfortable and functional three days after the procedure, while others may take three to four weeks to be comfortable with their new eyesight.
Resuming Activities
Your surgeon will place very few restrictions on your activities after your surgery. Activities such as exercise, television watching, driving, and flying are all acceptable when you feel up to them. Use common sense and listen to your body to decide which activities are right for you and when you should begin them again.
Follow-up Appointments
Your surgeon will request that you come into the office the day after your procedure. Later, once your corneal surface heals, your surgeon will remove the bandage contact lens in the office. This healing usually takes three to five days. Then the visits to your eye doctor will decrease in frequency to once a week, then once every three weeks, and then every two to three months, to ensure that healing is occurring properly.
Results Of Your PRK
