My PRK Surgery and Recovery

August 31, 2007 ·

A few weeks ago I mentioned it and today it happens. I’ll be having PRK surgery on both of my eyes. I’m really excited about no more contacts, though I have to admit that I’m a little nervous. It’s partially because of the surgery, but also a bit on the recovery. Cole told me that he’ll come and has assured me that if I start to whimper then he’ll cry louder so I’m muffled out and not embarrassed. What a good boy.

When I was first told I’d have PRK, I went searching online for other other people who has had the surgery. I was glad to get an idea of what it was like. Because they helped me, I thought I’d add to it by documenting my own experience. I’ll be updating this post with the pre-op, surgery and post-op so you may see it pop up a few times in your RSS feeders.

Aug 31st, Day of Surgery
The doctor instructed me to scrub my eyes with an “OCuSOFT Eyelid Cleanser” the night before my surgery. I was also instructed to have a drop of Acular LS in each eye the morning of the surgery. The nurse described it as “Tylenol for the eye.”

After waiting for a few minutes at the surgery center, they brought me back to the surgery room. The first step was to get a laser guided picture of my eye. I laid on the machine and they rolled me under the laser. Once lined up, they turn the focused lights up REALLY bright, pulled my eyelids apart and snapped a photo. It was quick and easy.

Once both eyes were phtographed, they rolled me back out and put 4 drops in each of my eye. One to start the numbing, one for dilation, and two others probably for fun.

At that point, I had to wait for the drops to kick in. I sat with Candace in a dark waiting room and took a Vallium for calming. While sitting there for 25 minutes my mind kept flashing to that scene in Armageddon. The newly trained astronaut asks his trainer what the moon will be like. She tells him of the jagged rocks, the loneliness, the death and danger around every corner. To this, the student replies, “Scariest environment imaginable…thanks. That’s all you had to say, scariest environment imaginable.”

The scariest environment imaginable. That’s what I was picturing in my mind.

When the doctor arrived, my eyes were ready. She led me into a regular room and had me sit in the chair. She took a look in my eyes to make sure the dilation was working as expected. She also marked my eyes with a sort of pen. She informed me that this was because of my astigmatism that acts like a natural torque when I lay down. (At least I think that was the explanation. I was a little trippy from the Vallium in me.)

Once I was deemed ready, we went into the surgery room and I laid down on the table. My whole instruction was to “never take your eye off the flashing red light..” I told her that if I see a bright white light then I’m looking away for sure.

She taped my left eye shut and then moved me under the laser again.

The first step was to tape my eyelashes back to avoid infection. Then, a tool was used to prop my eyelids open. It was uncomfortable at first, but I tried to ignore it and just focus on the red light. From this point, my eyes were numbed with a sponge. It worked quickly. The doctor then put a suction cup on my eye and counted down from 40 seconds. If I remember right, this was to make my pupils large and to separate my cornea for easier access. This step was the strangest pressure on my eyes.

Obviously, I could see very little. Focusing on the red light was difficult but not impossible. Another ointment was applied to my eyes and then she cleared away the loose particles of my cornea. She told me this was to make a completely smooth surface for the laser to work thru.

At this point, I was ready for the laser. I heard the machine rev up and the laser started zapping quickly. Luckily I was able to keep my eye completely still so the laser didn’t stop at all. It took about 35 seconds, zap by zap. There was no pain but you could definitely smell the burning eyeball. The smell reminded me of scout camp.

Once the laser was done, a cool liquid is put on the eye and another sponge to cool it down. Then a contact lens was applied. This lens has no prescription but it acts as a bandage to protect your cornea as it heals.

The eyelid proppers are then removed and the tape is removed from your eyelashes. (ouch.)

The whole process is then repeated on the second eye.

Overall, there was no pain. Though it does feel quite strange to have your eyeballs manhandled and I did get a little tense. If I had to do it again, I would have asked how long each eye would take. Even a general idea would have helped because while that first eye is worked on it feels like they are going forever. Once you’ve completed one and know the time needed, the next eye was more bearable. Overall, the procedure lasted 10 minutes for both eyes total.

Sitting up, I could already see that my vision was improved. I was told this would occur, but also warned that the eyesight would be fleeting as it is expected to get worse before it gets better.

Once my stylish booties and awesome hairnet was removed, I left the surgery room and met with Candace again. The sun coming from outside was like plasma rays to my eyeballs. SO BRIGHT! But I put on my sunglasses, followed Candace to the truck and was able to make it home.

Once home, I was told to have a little snack, take another vallium and then get some rest. That’s what I did. After sleeping for a few hours, I watched some of the Red Sox game, and laid in bed listening to music and wearing the awesome super hero goggles to be sure my eyes weren’t bumped or rubbed while I slept. I slept fine thru the night.

Overall, the procedure and first day of recovery had no pain for me. I applied the drops as instructed and that helped. I think the contact lens would be uncomfortable from someone who is used to wearing glasses. It will feel like a piece of sand or hair in your eye. But since I have been wearing contact lenses for years, it wasn’t too bad at all. The big pain is dryness, but applying the drops regularly really helps with that.

Sept 2, Day Two

I woke with no pain still but my eyes were dry from sleeping in the contacts. One drop in each eye and I was back to normal. I know it’s cliche, but the clock across the room had never looked so beautiful. It was crisp and clear.

Cole got up about the same time I did and we played for a while. It was wonderful to see him…even though things were a little blurry sometimes. With PRK, the cells begin to grow back. Sometimes they are in perfect position and everything looks great. But then they’ll shift and it will look like you’re seeing thru broken glass with everything broken up. A couple blinks and you’re good again but it happens over and over.

As the sun came up and the room got bright, I had to put my sunglasses back on again. I was still quite dialated and the sun was really strong.

Candace and Cole drove me down for my checkup with the doctor. After some tests and a quick look at my eye, everything looked healthy. I was seeing 20/20 out of my left eye and 20/30 out of my right. She again warned me that it will get worse as my cornea regenerates, but I’ll return to better eyesight than I was seeing then. It’s a good lesson on patience.

The rest of the day was spent watching and listening to opening day of college football. I’m just putting the drops in regularly and everything feels fine with no pain.

Spet 2, Day Three

I woke up this morning with a powerful burning in both of my eyes. It felt similar to when you spend all day skiing on a sunny slope and that night you realize that your eyeballs were sunburned from the bright sun and the reflective white snow. It was the kind of pain that hurt to keep your eyes closed, but hurt worse to open them up.

I applied all the drops and that helped a little, but not much. Finally, I decided to take a Goody’s Powder and that helped considerably. Is there anything Goody’s can’t solve?

Candace and Cole took me to my appointment with the doctor. Again, it was a quick one. She just wants to make sure that there is no disease forming and that my eye recovery is healthy. She told me that my eyes are recovering very fast and I may be able to get the bandage lenses taken out in the next appointment. I was glad to hear this because it would finally feel like I’m seeing things on my own. Even though the lenses have no prescription, it still feels like I’m being aided.

The rest of the day my vision was very blurry. The best way to describe it is that it’s similar to when you open your eyes under water in a swimming pool. You can see things, but not clear. As things were closer, they were a bit more clear.

Once again, this can be expected as the cornea regenerates. Right now, the cells are kind of just swimming around under the protection of the bandage lens and I’m looking thru their little pool party in my eye..

I still have to keep my sunglasses on because my eyes are quite sensitive to light. Also, the contacts seems to dry out quite fast when met with a breeze so the glasses help with that. We ate dinner with family and played some games. I was able to see the cards alright, though I felt like a poker player with my sunglasses on.

By the end of the night, things were becoming a bit more clear. But, as soon as I applied the drops before bedtime, things were blurry again.

Sept 3, Day Four

I woke up this morning to a real pain in my right eye. When I slept, the contact had dried to the eyelid. When I opened my eye it felt like it dragged across. Ouch. I put in some drops and it felt much better.

I saw the doctor again today. I did horrible on the vision tests. She said this would be my worst day for vision because the cells were all colliding right where I was looking. She was right, all day it was like looking out of a swimming pool. By the end of the day I could see within about 4 feet, but further than that was blurry.

However, I was glad to hear that my eye was almost completely healed and she took out the bandage lenses. This was a nice physical change, but also a mental one. For the first time in a long time I was glad to know that any clear vision was straight from my eye and not being aided by a lens of any kind.

The schedule for drops are still the same and I was instructed to use the lubrication drops even more often than I thought I needed them.

Sept4, Day Five

The only pain I feel at this point is when I first wake up. My eyes don’t have sufficient lubrication during the night so when I wake up my eyelids are very dry and seem to be sticking to my eyeballs. (I know that sounds gross, but how else do you describe that?)

Usually, I’ll put a drop in the corner of my eye and slightly and slowly open my eyelids to let the lubrication spread. That helps.

My visit to the doctor was another vision test and a checkup on the health of my eye. I was able to see 20/20 in my left eye and 20/25 in my right eye. Those numbers sound good, but it’s not a perfect vision. Basically, I can read the letters but not see them clear. My eyes were healthy and I’ll have a week before my next visit.

I drove for the first time today. I’m able to read most signs and with sunglasses I don’t have a problem with the light. My vision is becoming more clear each hour.

From here I think it’s just a gradual improvement in eyesight. I’ll update each time I visit the doctor from here on out.

Oct 4, One Month Since Surgery

I’ve seen the doctor a couple times in the last week. Both times, she let me know that I was healing as expected.

For the most part, my vision is good. Though sometimes I will wake up with more of a blur than other days. I think that this is usually caused by pressure on my eye. (perhaps from a pillow) My doctor said that it brings the astigmatism back into play when this happens. It happened again when I formed a sty on my right eye. The extra pressure from the eyelid pushed the eye.

Once every few days I’ll wake up with a very strong pain in my eye. In talking to an educated friend, he said that this is probably becayse the eye isn’t quite set yet. As the eyeball dries overnight, it may stick to the inside of my eyelid and the movement of the eyelid takes it out of place. I don’t know what it is, but I know it really hurts.

To combat this, I use eye drops all thru the night. In fact, I still use eye drops constantly. THe Acular LS is only 4 times a day as prescribed, but the “Refresh Plus” drops are nearly twice an hour. It really helps the pain.

Nov 27, Three Months Since Surgery

In an appointment yesterday, I was given an vision test again and was able to read at 20/10. I was incredibly happy with that. The doctor decided that I’m now alright to stop any medicated drops and to just take the lubrication drops if I feel like my eyes are dry.

My night vision is good and my eyes don’t dry or hurt. However, at times my eyes do feel a little worn out. As if the muscle had been working real hard all day. This may be because I work in front of a computer for a living, but I do believe they are in the healing process for a little longer.

This will be my last post on the subject. Overall, the results were surely worth the cost and the discomfort.

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Comments

52 Responses to “My PRK Surgery and Recovery”

Michael on August 31st, 2007 8:11 pm

I’m glad you’re going to do this because I am getting PRK next week. Looking forward to the updates.
Ann Lacouture on August 31st, 2007 11:14 pm

Brian,
Good luck with your surgery. I hope all goes well. I just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoy reading your thoughts. What a cool person you are. I’m glad I knew you and that I’m getting to know you again through reading your blog…
Jamie on September 1st, 2007 6:16 pm

Even with all the laser talk and burning smells and eyelash tape, the most disturbing thing was your comment that you woke up with Cole and “played for A WHILE”, and then later you mentioned “as the sun came up”. Why in the world do you always get up so early??
I am happy your eyeballs are okay and it hasn’t been so painful. I tell you, someday I will get eye surgery and I will be singing hallelulah all the way home!
Linda on September 1st, 2007 9:03 pm

Egg sandwiches work wonders, don’t they? :0)
P.S. Did Jamie just cuss??
Shaun on September 3rd, 2007 8:12 am

dude, my eyes are watering just reading this. hope you heal fast and well.
Brian on September 3rd, 2007 5:15 pm

Spook, there’s more coming. I’m thinking about the people that would land here in future searches. When I knew I was going to get PRK I went searching for info and wish someone else had broken it down in detail.
stacey on September 4th, 2007 7:43 am

Well, if you want to post a link explaining the details of delivering a baby, your sisters are GREAT with mental images and dishing details. Just give me or Roach a call and we would be happy to oblige.
Jayci on September 7th, 2007 6:14 pm

I’m glad your recovery is going well and your eye cells were able to have fun with their pool parties while recouperating. What you said about the clock being so clear… that is why I love it when I ‘accidentally’ sleep with my contacts. I hate waking up blind. I’m glad you posted all the details; it makes me less scared and more in favor of getting it done myself. Thanks!!
Carin on March 5th, 2008 11:47 am

Thanks so much for posting this, my husband just had PRK and was worried about the pain he is having in recovery. Most of what you described is occuring, so he is a little less paranoid Thanks again!!
Mary on August 7th, 2008 9:10 pm

I just wanted to leave a note of thanks. I just had PRK one week ago and my eyesight has been fluctuating daily. The pain you had was right on with what I had, ( the tech was right when she said that I would want to take my eyes out and dip them in water and put them back in). The doc said that I am healing nicely and my vision has been 20/20 and 20/30. The numbers will hopefully stabilize to something more along the 20/15 or better. However, considering the past 20 years of wearing corrective lenses, well worth it. Thank you for the hope.
ms. daniels on October 11th, 2008 11:47 am

I had PRK a year ago. I am sooooooo thankful to have this surgery. My recovery time took a little longer than yours, and I was in a great deal of pain ( I had a LOT of swelling) but eventually every thing turned out okay. Only thing, my eyes are still very sensitive to light. I have to wear sunglasses nearly all of the time. My doctor said that this is not uncommon. Also reading things that are in color is somewhat difficult, another thing that he said is not uncommon. How about you? Any difficulties seeing at night or having those “halos” from car lights that I have heard people talk about? I don’t have those, just the light sensitivity and the and reading words that are in color on a non-white background.
Donna on November 7th, 2008 6:04 am

Hi Brian,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am scheduled to have my surgery Dec 5th… After reading about all the pain you experienced while healing I am nevous!! I am giving second thoughts to getting it done. I will only have 2 days off after the surgery and I am hoping i can function!
Daryl on December 21st, 2008 11:10 pm

Wise Decision on going PRK instead of Lasik. Best of luck chap
Peter on January 9th, 2009 10:20 pm

Had just had PRK surgery on 29 December 2008. Although they did a good job technically they didnt really explain the recovery/vision development -so on Day 3-4 I was pretty depressed /nervous. However Day 6-7 things have really come good and now 10 days in, although vision has a little way to go -its great. A lot of dryness until about Day 7 then reducing.
Bill on January 19th, 2009 1:49 pm

I’m having my PRK surgery next week. Not sure what to expect but the decription does help. Just hoping for good results and a relatively pain free experience. Trying not to be nervous.
Philip on January 20th, 2009 10:08 am

Thank for the very detailed account. I just went in for my screening this morning, and will probably be having PRK performed on both eyes soon. My corneas are too thin for LASIK, but I’m a good candidate for PRK, especially being an airline pilot. I’m glad to know what to expect. I laughed a lot reading your post here–even funnier since I’m a little nervous.
Debbie on January 21st, 2009 5:48 pm

I was told two weeks ago that I need to have PRK instead of lasik. I have only worn glasses for ten years but have hated them always. Could not wear contacts because of dry eyes. I am 50 now. I am going to have monovision PRK. I was told the recovery is longer. I have been checking into it on the computer and discovered that everyone seems to recover differnt. I felt like that did not help me much. I am going into it with hope for the best but be prepared for something else. I was so glad to hear your recovery it makes me feel like I can handle it. But I am scared not for the pain necessarily well a little bit but hoping I will have good sight after all of this. I know I am going to a very reputable office I am not worried about that. Again I know everyone heals different. Well thanks for telling us of your experience. I am having my PRK on Jan. 29, 09 Well I got on the computer and alot of what I read made me feel ok but alot of what I read scared me too. I can only hope this is all worth it.
Thanks,

Scared but doing it.

Debbie
David on January 22nd, 2009 11:26 pm

Had PRK at Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. 44 years old. Both eyes about -8.0 diopters. 1.0 astigmatism. Surgery was on Tuesday Jan 6 2009. Local anesthesia only until after surgery. Personally I had significant (beyond lye soap in the eyes) pain for 3 days. But, I was told pain level varies. Advil helped the most! Try Advil Liqui gels 800mg 4 times daily. Because my job is vision intensive, and I traveled out of state for surgery, ultimately,
I had two weeks off work. Upon return to work, my vision varies. Looking at someone 4-6 feet away is variable – they have 4 eyes – Best I can describe near vision is a blurry underlayer with a clear layer overlayer on top at three weeks out, with monovision. Computer screen is variably perfect tonight. Drove home a couple nights ago – AMAZING! Drove home tonight – careful – blurry – high vision demand today. So vision is variable. 3.5 weeks out with monovision. Watched Wall-e this week perfectly clear. Wake up and can see the clock, but mild double vision. Most days faces are blurry. Room numbers on wall are too blurry to make out. Slow but steady recovery. See better and better each day.
Mary on January 27th, 2009 2:22 pm

Just wanted to leave an update. I had my 6 month check up and I have 20/20 vision in both eyes with only a small bit of astigmatism. I was so excited!
My recovery seemed to take quite awhile but it was so worth it! Just to let you all know, my eyes are still dryer than they used to be, mostly this is in the middle of the night when I wake up to go to the bathroom or have to tend to our children. As an overall recommendation, even though the pain was longer than the Lasik, I am very satisfied. And with such a thin epithelial layer I won’t be having anything else done to my eyes, ( I don’t want to lose my vision after getting 20/20) I am over-joyed with this surgery.
Peter on February 9th, 2009 2:47 pm

An update from Jan 9th. Eveything has gone great and rapidly improved towards the end of week 2 /early week 3. Eyesight really stabilised and tested at 20/25 about 5 weeks after surgery. Very little dryness etc any more. Told that after 3-6 months things will flatline at around 20/20. I am very happy with the result especially knowing that my eyeball wasn’t cut. So hang in there and use all the drops they give when they tell you!
Erika on February 10th, 2009 10:16 pm

Thank you so much for this post! I’ve been trying to do as much research as possible on PRK. I’ll be having PRK done to my right eye (thin cornea) and Lasik to my left eye next Monday. Should be very interesting, to say the least. Thank you for putting your experience on your blog to help ease our minds!
Danny on March 5th, 2009 5:41 pm

I had PRK 7 days ago. Everytime I think it is improving, then bang it goes the other direction again. It is funny, I was so excited about PRK, I researched everything, but the recovery time did not sound that bad until you are in the middle of recovering, then it feels like forever. But, the more I read (when I can) the more I realize I need patience. I appreciate all the post’s above and will just hang in there.
alison on March 8th, 2009 5:42 pm

i had prk 7 weeks ago. monovision. the near sighted one is great, the farsighted one is not. i was 20?30 in that eye at my 4 weeks visit. but driving is frustrating… i have to be close to the signs to read them. I am told that the ‘crisp’ clear vision does not come until the drops are finished (white chalky residue affects the clearness I am told). Was glad to read that improvement still comes even after 7 weeks. It made me feel much better.
Chuck T. on March 11th, 2009 2:47 pm

Thanks for the post. I had PRK Enhancement on my Right Eye on 3/9/09 and it was a bit different then when I had LASIK 5 years ago.
Cherie on March 27th, 2009 5:37 pm

Hi,I was so happy to find this website. I have PRK surgery scheduled on April 9, less than 2 weeks. I have thought about this for 4 years, but I have been fearful to do this. I am around 55 yrs. old and have very dry eyes. For the past 2 years, I have used Restasis AM and PM to help the dry eyes. Last Tuesday, I met with the eye doctor. He took much time with me. Even after surgery, I will have to wear reading glasses at times, such as 1.25. Currently, I am wearing 2.5 reading glasses and my nearsidedness is getting worse. However, I am scared because of the fact that my eyes are already dry. Really am hoping the surgery doesn’t make it any worse. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Should I or should I not have the surgery?
Philip on April 7th, 2009 10:53 pm

Hi Cherie,
I, too, have very dry eyes. I read that PRK was better for dry eyes than LASIK:
http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/dry-eye-treatment.htm

Still, I’m thinking it can’t be much worse than wearing contacts all the time. As an airline pilot, the constant pressurization/depressurization (very dry air) wreaks havoc on my eyes! After nearly 20 years of toric lenses (the dry eyes make them inconveniently–and uncomfortably–stick at the wrong axis, rendering my vision fruitless), I’m ready to ditch the things! I’m waiting just a few more weeks to go under the gun, though, as we just had a baby and I’m soon going on family leave for a few months. Let us know how it goes!!
Edwin on April 22nd, 2009 9:11 pm

Hi there,

I’m getting PRK done on April 25th this coming saturday and I can’t say that I’m not nervous about the procedure. I thought initially that I was going to be blinded the first two days with bandages over my eyes, but as I read your Blog I find myself feeling more and more comfortable with undergoing the procedure. The major reason why I am doing this is to get into the U.S. Marine Corps since they did not accept me because of excessive refractive vision. But I’m excited that finally I will get to see better without having to rely on glasses . Thanks for the write-up. You da man! :p
Alan on May 12th, 2009 6:44 pm

I am happy that I came across your blog. Right now I am feeling that having PRK is the worst mistake I’ve ever made. Prior to surgery my eyes were about -6.50. I am now 7 weeks post surgery and my vision is horrible. I really regret doing this. My doctor said that my vision has improved to about 20/25. Problem is, quality is horrible. I am still seeing double, triple, quadruple ghosting. Cannot see fine detail at all. It appears that I have surgery induced astigmatism. Maybe it will go away, maybe it won’t. Will take six months to know. It cannot be corrected now since the eyes fluctuate so much. I can’t watch sports, cannot read road signs, peoples faces are a blur – life is hell right now. In 3 more months I find out whether anything can be done. Either I am looking at an enhancement or glasses. Great!! I did this NOT to wear glasses. This whole experience is extremenly depressing. I was not never told how bad an outcome was possible and am seriously considering seeking legal advice.
Kristina on May 27th, 2009 6:33 am

Very Intresting reading about everyone’s experiances. I had PRK on May 1, 2009. I was -4.75 in both eye’s. Immediatly after I was seeing 20/30. I was amazed. I cried and cried and kept apologizing to the Dr. ( thinking I was messing up somtihng with “my” tears). The pain was not as bad as I had read/heard. There were times I thought OMG here it comes! But with my acular and my tetraicane the pain was completely under control. The ONLY affect I am having now is a little burning when I put my FML drops in. I’m wondering if anyone else had this problem. PRK has completely changed my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Lori on June 18th, 2009 3:16 pm

I can really relate to most of the stories. I had PRK done on my left eye on June 10. It’s been a little over a week. At about the 4th and 5th day I began to see better but then all of a sudden the quality was bad. I was aware that my vision could fluctuate daily and it does! I’m hoping it will get better soon because I’m getting a little frustrated with it. It is difficult to read and work…being that I use a computer all day for my job. As soon as I can see more clear from this eye, I will do my right eye. But I can’t help feeling a little skeptical about it at this moment.
Tina on June 24th, 2009 8:50 am

I was scheduled to have Lasik surgery last Wednesday and I was SUPER nervous, I did all the research and prepared myself as much as possible. The day of the surgery they re-did all the eye exams and the doctor told me that I had a chance of problems later on if I chose Lasik, and he recommended PRK. So I did it. The first 2 days were realllyyyy bad and very uncomfortable. But now I can really feel my eyes healing. Thanx for your story Brian. It really helped because before my surgery I hadn’t even thought or read anything about PRK and it helped inform me!
LIsa on July 21st, 2009 1:02 pm

I’m preparing to have PRK and am really scared. The blog helped me know what to expect. I am just so sick of the glasses and contacts!
Audrey on July 24th, 2009 8:25 am

This was incredibly helpful! THANK YOU. I’m just wondering if I can do anything normal after the surgery, because I made plans the day of the surgery and the following days after. OOPS!
Tommy Thompson on July 24th, 2009 11:50 am

I was told that my vision would be great up close after the prk than i would lose a little of the close and the long distance would get a lot clearer and thats what i want . Its been 5 weeks and long distance is so blurry and night time is really bad .Hope the distance gets better as i dont like this and wonder if i should of done this. Hope this helps !!!
Glenda on July 28th, 2009 8:09 am

I had PRK a month ago on my left eye to correct problems associated with a Crystalens implant which I had for a cataract. So far my distance vision is still very poor although my near vision is pretty good, but it was the distance vision that was supposed to be corrected with the PRK. Thank goodness it’s only one eye. If both eyes were this bad I would be very depressed. My doctor says I’m continuing to heal, but I expected to have good vision after a month. Think I made a serious mistake getting the Crystalens implant.
Justin on August 11th, 2009 6:51 pm

Great blog. I along with many others have experienced some post PRK anxiety and its nice to know that everyone else is in the same wagon. I’m coming up on my one month and I tested 20/20 right eye and 20/30 left eye. I am 20/20 with both eyes but the letters are blurry. Anyhow thanks to you and everyone else who shares their experiences!
Mohammad on August 15th, 2009 1:38 am

Hi All

i had my PRK procedure one month back , my left eye vision is ok ,i still have intertwined vision with the right eye, i am not sure till when this will continue ( hopefully i will be ok when the 3 months recovery is over ), over all i can drive, work ( i work on the computer 8 hours a day).

for the people having second thoughts , don’t , it is really worth it , and it doesnt hurt as bad as it sounds , the procedure itself is annoying more than painfull , as for the recovery , once you are used to the eye drops , you will be ok as long as you keep them in your pocket.
Bridget on August 26th, 2009 7:31 pm

good blog, guess I’ll have to start mine. I didn’t have as good results as you. I started w/ Lasik using intralase in 03 and the right eye was great, but when they did the left eye something happened and they aborted procedure didn’t treat and covered the flap back up. for years I was too scared to go back to that doc so finally went to a few others and all said i had to do prk. So I did. It was extremely painful and wouldn’t heal. 3 weeks later I had a second PTK surgery to make the eye smooth b/c of the original LaSik had made it bumpy for lack of a better word. I’m still a week out of the PTK and man this pain is horrible. Don’t know if I’d do it again if I had to do it over again knowing what I know. I at least have a great surgeon and doc now!!! Better luck to everyone else.
Chris on August 28th, 2009 9:48 am

I also had PRK about 5 weeks ago.
It’s nice reading other people’s explanation of events going on. I am in a “dry” phase right now and the vision is suffering as a result.

I don’t think that the lasik companies do a good enough job at describing how the PRK recovery will go in comparison to the Lasik recovery. It’s a totally different surgery and more info needs to be put out there!
Connie on September 13th, 2009 7:08 pm

Thank you so much for the detailed account of your surgery. I had PRK in my right eye 9 days ago for distance because it is my dominant eye (will have monovision eventually). I have not had the surgery on my left eye yet. I had RK surgery about 15 years ago so Lasik was not an option for me. RK was a breeze compared to PRK. I was good the first day, but the second day was miserable. I should have just taken my hydrocodone and slept all day! Day 2 was better and day 3 was fine for pain. I went in on day 4 and had the contact lenses removed. Whew, did that feel good. Vision is definitely not very good at this point at times. I try closing my left eye and just using my right eye, but that is depressing and worrisome at times. I am worried about proceeding with my left eye for near vision since my distance vision is only acceptable for driving with both eyes. The left eye is schedule in 2 weeks and I am hoping my distance vision will be good enough to drive myself to work. I wonder if I can get some glasses that will help with my driving while I am healing. Anyway, reading everyone’s messages has been very comforting and I hope the next 6 months go by fast! Good luck to everyone during the healing process!
Theresa on September 15th, 2009 6:09 am

This is all really good information, so thank you so much. I am a month away from getting PRK done, if I decide to go through with it. I am taking drops now for my dry eye condition and they will recheck me in a month to see if I am ready for the procedure. I am very nervous and still on the fence about getting it done. I do tech support for a living, so I am on a computer 8+ hours a day. I was scared about the pain afterward, but with the help of all of you, it sounds like the pain is really not as bad as I was thinking it would be. I am a little nervous about the prolonged vision issues while healing. I think I will probably go through with it, and if I do, I will be sure to post my experience to help others. I am really, REALLY nervous. Any words of encouragement would be appreciated.
William Sheridan on September 15th, 2009 8:42 am

I had PRK on Jun 10th 2009. I have to agree mostly with this post, as everything was great, except for the day 3 pain that made me want to kill myself. Although it went away after 8 hours, and day for was just slightly irritating, with day 5 on just getting used to the slightly blurred vision… Im 3 months out now, I still use Refresh Tears in the morning ( I dry out a bit at night still ) and I dont need them during the day but I use them anyway… Eye lashes and anything in my eye, EXTREMELY painful ( very sensitive still, as expected considering they just healed ) … vision was 20/20 – 20/15 as of Late August, my final visit is in October, which I am told is when my vision should be about finalized…. All things considered, I had PRK in 2 eyes, with Custom Vue ( whatever that is ) and paid $1800 in NY. All things considered, best money I ever spent… Im 30 years old, and only had a minor correction, I was 20/50 prior to surgery… Surgery was at Diamond Vision. Highly recomended.
Michele on September 17th, 2009 9:31 am

I had prk on Sept.3rd. I am so upset! They said I should be able to drive in about 6 days–it has been 2 weeks and I still can’t see well enough to drive. My children have to be driven to school everyday since they do not have bussing and I do not like to inconvenience others. I would have waited until next summer if I knew how blurry and inconsistent my vision would be. I guess they wanted to make sure they got their $3600 first. If I knew there was a “light at the end of the tunnel”, I would wait it out, but I am feeling like I made the biggest mistake of my life. I am in tears, (which is helping the dry eye pain) because I feel like I was misled. I am an independent wife and mom and I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I cannot even do grocery shopping on my own, let alone cook our normal dinners. I cannot see faces, the television (unless I am standing right in front of it) and reading a magazine is almost impossible. Help!
Tanya on October 22nd, 2009 6:59 pm

Thanks for the blog. I had PRK surgery on 10/17/09 at the Lasik Vision Institure in Atlanta. I was orignally scheduled for the LASIK procedure but was told that PRk would be asafer procedure for me and they wouldn’t do the LASIK. I was terrified but went ahead with the surgery anyway. It is now day 5. I experienced severe burning the first 3 days and was very light sensitive. My vision in my right eye is at 20/20 and the left so far is 20/40. I am still having some oduble vision problems, I feels sont of like my eyes are not working together. However, they are getting better day by day. I go for a chek up tommorrow to have the protective lenses removed. I drove for the first time yesterday which was quite different. I could not see all the signs clearly yet but everything else was clear. The only major problem I am having is I do administrative work and I am a full time student. I did not bargain for the inability to read or focus on the computer for long periods of time.

I must admit I am a bit nervous about the healing time. I am goin back to work next week and hope that this will not affect my work. It was funny to see the other patients who had the LASIK done come back for the next day followup, they could ee perfectly while I couldn’t see anything. Overall I am still happy that I had the surgery and I’ll just wait to SEE what the future holds!
Connie on October 28th, 2009 7:04 pm

Well, I’m back. I had the surgery on my left eye on Friday, 10/23. Things went about the same as my right eye except I took my pain meds more frequently. I’m not sure it helped much, but glad that is behind me. I was concerned about driving after having my left eye done for reading, but it has not been a problem. My right eye does get tired faster now because it is working harder. Dryness is beginning to creep in a little for my right eye, but all in all I am pleased. When I went in for my check up on Saturday morning, I was seeing an amazing 20/25 in my right eye (six weeks after surgery) and 20/30 in my right eye! Well, as you may guess, that didn’t last long. On Monday when I went in to get my protective contact removed, my doc said my right eye must be having sympathy pains for my left eye because both were less than optimal. Every day is different, but so far, I have not been surprised by anything because of this blog. I’ve been told it takes about 2 weeks for your eyes to quit “fighting” over which one is supposed to be focused for my monovision. That will be nice when it happens. As long as I improve a little every day/week, I will continue to be happy. I still find myself reaching for my glasses at times, but have not missed them. I hope others find at least some comfort in my story as it does help me to read how everyone else is doing.
Chrissy on November 4th, 2009 1:58 pm

I need to make a decison if I am going to have PRK in less than 20 days and I am not sure if I want to do it. I was upset when my Dr. told me that I was not a canidate for LASIK because my cornea is to thin. I am a secretary at an elementary school and I am on the computer all day. I don’t have time to take off if I am in pain or can’t see clearly. I was planning on doing it over a long weekend. Will I be able to go back to work in 5 days?
Mel on November 8th, 2009 10:28 am

DON’T DO IT! Sure, you could have a great result. But you could also have a terrible, life changing result. They never told me that many of the complications you can get, CAN NOT even be fixed by glasses. I have two of these complications and it has taken over my once happy life.
Tanya on November 14th, 2009 7:47 am

Ok, so I am on day 26 now and I am doing pretty good. I am not sure exactly what my vision is right not but I go back for another follow up on the 23rd. I have had a few fluctuations in my vision but overall I am loving not having to wear my glasses. I can see great when driving and the road signs are very clear. I’m also progressing with reading black and white print too, however, my eyes get really tired so I can’t read for very long but that is progressing as well.

To my surprise I’m not dealing with much dry eye but I still use the drops just to be on the safe side. I find myself looking forward to waking up everyday to see what I can SEE better than the day before. It’s amazing!

To Chrissy—–I went back to work after a week. It was a little hard the first week, I felt as if I was straining my eyes and I was still sensitive to light. I was able to turn my light off in my office and use a lamp which helped alot. I also use my sunglasses alot especially when my eyes feel alittle tired. Good luck on your procedure!
Chris Sugden on November 18th, 2009 8:38 am

I loved your brutally honest account of what happened, my dr ommitted to tell me much of what my recovery will be like. In 3 days I go in to see clearly for the first time in 16 years! Woohoo
Melanie Woodley on November 29th, 2009 7:39 pm

I had Lasik 3 weeks ago and could see 20/10 the next day in both eyes. The only problem was dryness in my eyes, especially when I woke up in the morning. I would do it all over again, it was fantastic and unbeleivable how great I can see…On the flip side my sister had PRK 8 days ago and after seeing what she went though, what she is still going through, I would not recommend the PRK to anyone unless you are prepaired to be frustrated, worried, stressed, ext for some time to come, or someone who just has nothing to do for the next 3 months.
Tanya on December 12th, 2009 6:12 pm

Hi everyone,

I am almost 2 months into my PRK surgery. I can see better than I can ever remember. My vision is 20/20 and still getting better. I still have dry eye but that is getter better too! Even though it was difficult the first few weeks, I am so glad that I went through with the surgery!
Chrissy on December 17th, 2009 1:17 pm

Tanya,
Thank you for your positive remarks! I am scheduled to have the surgery on Jan. 15. There is no backing out now. I was getting scared when I read what a few people have said after my message, but you are keeping me positive. THANKS!
I will let you know how it goes. Happy Holidays!
Good Luck Everyone, I hope things get better!