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.

Comments

91 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!
Guillermo on December 15th, 2009 1:54 pm

I had my PRK surgery on December 8th. So about one week ago. I like Tanya wake up every day with better vision than the day before.

I can’t believe how Brian’s detailed description was so close to my experience. The first few days I did experience the burn and extreme sensitivity to light as all have described. At this stage, my right eye seems to be doing well and just took off the left eye contact yesterday, December 14th. It was getting really dry, but now that it is off, I can feel the healing process begin faster.

My right eye is fairly clear, but left is a bit fuzzy still. But i stand in front of the HD TV in the same place every day to test out my ability to read the scores on ESPN at the bottom of the TV screen. I see it getting better every single day. So i am glad to hear the experiences of all of you who have posted before me, that there is improvement every day. Thought it was just me. My doctor had told me all this, so was very open and honest. I really felt like it was my decision to do this. She said that if i really wanted to do LASIK, it might be possible, but based on the structure of my eye, she would highly recommend not to do it and she would not want to be the one who did the LASIK as she was concerned of down stream impacts when i got older.

I am not in pain at this point. A bit of dryness, just still a bit fuzzier than i would like. Again, thanks to all of you who provided insight into your recovery stories, especially you Brian. I could probably cut and paste your story to mine. :^)
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!
Jerry on January 3rd, 2010 4:29 pm

Hi Everyone,
My name is Jerry and I had PRK 16 Dec 2009. The first 5 days I lived in the semi dark with sunglasses on. The pain was bareable, felt like I went swiming in the ocean and had salt water in my eyes…just a little uncomfortable. Day six the contact lenses were taken out and the eyes felt better. It is now 3 Jan and my vision up close is great, but my distant vision is blurry. I can drive but can not make the signs out too clearly until I get right up on them. Watching TV is not good because anything more than 3-4 feet is blurry, praying that it will clear up. My next Doctor visit is 20 Jan 2010. I will jump back on and let you know how it is going.
Phillip on January 7th, 2010 11:01 am

I’ll jump on here too. I had CustomVue PRK done on 12/9/09 and yesterday was the 4 week point. I’m still seeing a fuzzy 20/40 based on my own eye charts I have hung at my house. I’m seeing some double vision in my right eye and a little in the left, and overall I’ve yet to have the miraculous experience of those reaching 20/10. I can squint and see a little clearer which makes me think that I was undercorrected, but who knows. I’m certainly not a doc…just trying to think logically. I go to the doc today to get an eval and see how the healing is coming. I’m expecting to be one of those either requiring an enhancement or still needing glasses.

Jerry, don’t feel alone. It seems like you and I are in a similar boat with distance vision still being fuzzy. I’m also talking with another person who had it done about the same time frame and she’s waiting for her distance vision clarity to improve as well.

I’ll jump on later and submit an update after my doc visit.

Cheers.
Guillermo on January 9th, 2010 4:20 pm

my last message was December 15th and today is now January 9th. One month and one day since my PRK surgery. My right eye seems to be in really good shape, but my left eye has been healing much more slowly. If i cover my right eye, it is still blurry and probably due to under correction. When i cover my left eye, i am in real good shape.

Have been a bit concerned up until about two days ago when i started seeing more clearly than in the weeks prior and today i was driving reading the signs further down the freeway than i have been able to in the previous weeks. So this is positive and am very more excited. I see well up close but as i spend too much time in front of the computer i do feel a bit of pressure and need to lubricate them a bit. At night, it has been a challenge due to the “halo” affect, but that seems to be getting a bit better in past few days as well. So seems like something kicked in and am healing better in my left eye. :^)

Every once and a while i will feel some pressure at night in my left eye. maybe it is hyper healing, but not to a point where i have lost much sleep. Hopefully this will continue. I see the doc again on Jan 13th so will update after that.

Thanks to all for proving your experiences, it definitely has kept me inspired and hopefully this post gives some hope also.
Jerry on January 10th, 2010 8:07 pm

Phillip and Guillermo,
Thanks for your updates which gives me some inspiration. I am at 25 days after PRK surgery and my up close vision is still wonderful but my intermediate and distant is still blurry or fuzzy or hazy. I am driving and the signs are still blurry until I get right up on them and then I can make them out somewhat. I am finding when I squint I can see a little better. I am still using the steriod drops 4 times a day. Thanks again and I will let you all know how my doc appontmenat goes on the 20th Jan. Cheers everyone and hang in there
v/r
Jerry
Jerry on January 13th, 2010 2:01 pm

Guillermo,

How did your appointment go today?

v/r

Jerry
Chris Runyon on January 15th, 2010 6:55 pm

CR
I have my PRK surgery 1/16/2010. These stories have been great. I hope that I have a fast recovery time like others. A little worried about the color reading part. Will keep everyone up to date with everything as well.

Great blog Brian … 2 years later still going.
Chris Runyon on January 17th, 2010 5:26 pm

CR
Well I am on day 2. Not really bad pain; I have not taken any pain meds today. I am at the point where I can see, however I am “swimming in the pool”. It burns a bit & looks like I need to clean my contacts. We’ll see what day 3 brings on.
Guillermo on January 18th, 2010 12:09 pm

Jerry, Chris and Phillip, sorry for the delay in response. I did go to the doc on Jan 13th. Just days prior to that I felt like my vision was getting better. I test this by viewing the EXIT sign down the hall from my office at work. But the day before, it seemed that my left eye was getting a little lazy because i have been back at work and lots of computer work and reading in past week.

So, i was really getting pumped about my vision getting crisper but seemed to have taken just a nudge back with my left eye. I also notice at night that the signs seem pretty crisp but the lights on the cars and the lines are still a bit challenging.

So in a nutshell at the doc, I was reading the 20/20 line with my right eye and the 20/40 line, a bit blurry, where before i could not even make out any letters. Previous doc appt. on Dec 30 was left eye 20/60. So although i was getting a little discouraged, it does seem i can see the charts better. So that is good news. Great thing for HD TV. :^)

Jerry, btw, i am still on the steroid drops. Will revisit the doctor on January 28th. Hope much better by then.

thanks for the thread.
G
jason on January 20th, 2010 10:57 pm

Well, I am officially freaking out about what to do. I had done all my research about Lasik and was dead set on going for it. Its 12:48 at night and my appointment is at 1:00 this afternoon. Everything was good to go then the salesmen (eye doctor) called me at about 4:30 this evening. He had changed plans and now says he will not be doing the Lasik but instead doing PRK. The internet has definitely scared me away from the procedure. I don’t have that much time to heal. Is there anyone on here that has had a very successful PRK surgery with a slight astigmatism. thanks
chandana on January 27th, 2010 3:51 am

had my prk for both eyes on 21st jan 2010. My doc dint use bandage contacts at all. I freaked out high on day one.. esp. the night.. had an insufficient dose of pain killer. Thereafter each day was only better. I cried once on the 3rd day…. over a spat with my brother…it strangely pained in the eyes quite a bit before tears fell out… I was worried. On the 6th day not much of blurr… but am sure my vision about 20/40 only… yet to take the vision test tomorrow. Morning I can’t open eyes after sleep without drops. Does this dryness remain all life?? And if at all there was undercoerection, when will we know? Oh btw am dying to go out….:(… but my family n doc don’t let me. I hate to sit indoors for so long.. esp. in such pretty season.
Kristin on January 31st, 2010 1:50 pm

I had PRK on January 22. I had to have PRK instead of Lasik because of my severe dry eye. I went into the surgery knowing that I would experience pain and discomfort. My experience is very similar to Brian’s. However, my doctor told me I would fine going back to work the 3rd day after surgery…BIG MISTAKE! The lights were so overwhelming and the computer was even worse. I had to leave work early and took the next day off. I am telling you this because everyone needs to go into this with the anticipation of not being able to work for at least 5 days. If you feel better then go!

When I went to the doctor to have the bandage removed (on day 5) I read a “weak” 20/20, which is great! After removing the contact I was in a little discomfort, it felt as if something was in my eye but I knew nothing was. I also still wake up in the middle of the night with my eyelid almost feeling stuck exactly the way Brian described his healing process. However, the day after my contact was removed I read much clearer. It gets better every day but sometimes gets blurrier which I expected as my eyes healed.

It has now been over a week from my surgery and I feel great! My vision is still a little blurry but I can drive, work out, and go to work which is great! I already LOVE not wearing my glasses!

Good luck to everyone!
Tanya on February 1st, 2010 8:05 pm

Hi everybody…I am so grateful that I had the surgery. My eyesight is great. I’m not sure what my vision is but it has been getting better everyweek and still improving. I’m 3 months and a few weeks in and it’s still getting better. I go back to the doctor in a couple of weeks so I’ll give more updates then.

Peace
Jerry on February 3rd, 2010 6:31 pm

hi everyone,
I am 6 weeks and 4 days post op and my distance is still blurry/hazy and up close is fine…still waiting for my distance to clear up…today I start 2 drops a day for 2 weeks steroid drops. I continue to stay positive my next Doc appt is 17 Feb. Good Luck and I will be back in touch. Cheers
Jerry
Catherine on February 5th, 2010 6:45 pm

Hello everyone, I’m 1 month post op. I had a doctor visit yesterday and my vision was at 20/30 right eye and about 20/40 left eye. The waiting game is driving me nuts, if I knew 100% that I would have 20/20 crystal clear vision I wouldn’t be so anxious but not knowing makes the days drag.
I wish I had been given more information on the healing time before the surgery. I’ve learned more after the fact and reading all these posts helps me get through each day a lot better. I find myself jumping on the computer reading posts at the stage that I am currently at and comparing healing time..lol
Chris Runyon on February 6th, 2010 12:56 pm

CR

Hey Everyone

Sorry for the delayed update. I went back for my 3 week check up yesterday and I am already at 20/20. It still bounces up and down a bit. When I am at work and staring at the screen for a long time it gets fuzzy and I just have to take a break. This was the best decision I have made! I was very scared because I was told by the doctor that I would hate them for a few weeks; not my case at all. I did my surgery on a 3 day weekend; that was a good decision because my 3rd day was the really only bad day that I had. The doctor yesterday was very impressed on how fast my recovery went!

Chris
Trena on February 6th, 2010 1:27 pm

Thanks everyone for the responses. I wish I had this kind of support earlier on. I had my PRK on Jan21. Day 2 was the worst; taking Vicodin every 5 hrs for pain. Day 3 was pain free. By day 5 when I had my appt to remove the bandaid lens, things were looking clear at 20/20 and 20/40. According to my post op instructions, I stopped every hr Refresh Plus and went to just as needed. My vision got progressively worse.

By day 12 when I returned to work I nearly had a panic attack. I am a pharmacist with visually intenstive work and I didn’t think I’d make it through the day; every thing was blurry. Reading glasses helped but by 3pm (of my 10 hr day), they helped minimally. My intermittent eye drops (prednisolone) helped. Luckily, I had the rest of the week off.

I was so discouraged by the decline in my vision, especially because it was so clear earlier. In talking with my sister, who had LASIK, she stressed hydration drops. I never felt the dryness or need for drops so I had cut back to every 3hrs or so. When I went back to every 1hr eye drops and it helped tremendously! I return to work in 2 days so I am hopeful. Early in the day, everything is crystal clear. By late afternoon, my vision declines. Each day it gets later and later so I am encouraged by the healing process.

For the week after the procedure, I was eating no sugar, 5 servings of fruits/veggies, exercise daily and lots of water. The doctor was surprised at how fast I healed. Afterwards I slacked off of my healthy lifestyle, With the decline in vision, I went back to these changes.

I also decided that I am going to stay with the single use Refresh Plus for the 1st month. At my 5 day exam, the dr mentioned that some of the preservatives in the multiuse vials are known to slough off the cornea. I want to keep my new cornea in this healing process so I decided to stick with the preservative free version. Costco sells #100 vials for $19 of Refresh. I figure for the amount of money I spent on this procedure, this little addtional cost is worth the help it may give me; at least my piece of mind.
Alex on February 16th, 2010 8:36 pm

I had an implantable contact lens put in in my right eye last October and I’m supposed to get PRK as a touch up this Friday. After reading through peoples stories of weeks and even months of fluctuating vision I’m not sure I’m going to go ahead with it. My left eye is practically useless and even if I had it operated on it would just be sort of helping the right eye to see, so I don’t want to go through weeks of fuzziness and then not know if I’ll get a big improvement over what I have now, which is 1 line above the 20/20 line on the eye chart and ‘legal for driving’, like that’s the most important thing in life. Doesn’t help that my doctor told me I could go back to doing most normal daily activities after a couple of days and then I find out on the net that it takes much longer. I actually thought I was going to be getting LASIK until I noticed on my instruction sheet I was given that it was PRK so I didn’t know the difference until I started researching it, I wasn’t aware of the different laser procedures at all.
Jerry on February 20th, 2010 7:48 pm

Hello everybody,
It’s Jerry here. I had the PRK 16 Dec 2009. Well it has been two months for me and as I said from day one or so my up close vision has been subperb but my intermediate to distance has been blurry or fuzzy and reading road sign have been differicult but the good news is that it is not as bad as it was and the sign are getting clearer and the TV is not as blurry as it was 2 months ago. My last check up which was my one month after surgery was terrible and my second visit was with some improvement and I go back 17 March for my 3 month visit so I pray that one will be with more improvement, The Doctor took me of the steriod eye drops and I am only doing the refresh drops still and she said do lots of the refresh drops. My advise is to remain patient, I am 49 years old and it is taking time for the healing process to complete. I am very hopefull and I do feel my eyes are getting much better than they were 2 months ago….my up close has always been great after surgery of course. The distant is slowly coming. I hope this helps for anyone that is going through the PRK healing, key is to do the eye drops as prescribed, do lots of refresh drops too. Take vitimin C and drink water and you will do just fine. Cheers to your healing process.
Jerry
Phaedra Fisher on February 21st, 2010 1:23 pm

I had PRK surgery about 24 days ago. Like many others the first few weeks were TERRIFYING – I couldn’t read, could barely drive safely and was so discouraged that I wasn’t getting results. I actually broke into tears sobbing for several hours one night about 2 weeks into it – this actually became a turning point for the better. I rapidly discovered that serious volumes of tears really helped speed along the recovery. Since then I have been forcing myself to watch sappy movies every day, or other things to really get the tears going (in addition to all the eye drops of course). This is my biggest recommendation – figure out how to get yourself to shed some serious volumes of tears each day! It has immensely helped with my recovery!
Kevin on February 22nd, 2010 2:13 pm

Hi everyone. My name is Kevin and I had “CustomVue” PRK on January 22, 2010 in both eyes. I go in for my one-month post opp appointment tomorrow. I work in front on a computer much of the day during the work week and seem to find those office florescent lights quite challenging. My best vision, like many of you, is right when I wake up and it lasts for about 1/2 hour before it begins to go downhill. The first half of the day is pretty good, but by the afternoon I’m seeing lots of ghosting. My left eye is lagging behind my right. First thing in the morning, it’s just a little fuzzier than the right and neither have ghosting, but the left is the first to see ghosting in the day. By 2 p.m. both eyes are ghosting and that’s when I just want to close my eyes. I muster through the day, knowing that once I get home, there will be some relief from the computer. I see best on bright outdoor light and when it’s in the morning or after a nap. I am still on FML drops 4X daily and use Optive Refresh drops in between. BTW – Did you know you can cap those little “throw-away” vials (the tab you break off actually snaps back on – they don’t tell you that)? They are good for 24 hrs after you open them. I will post again after tomorrow to share news of my appointment. I have faith that improvement will continue as the cornea heals. Hopefully I will achieve that 20/15 vision in time to come.
Julie on February 23rd, 2010 4:39 pm

Hi everyone,
Today is day 12th after having PRK and I can hardly read what I am typing. I had to ask my husband to read some of your stories. My near vision is awful, blurry and I see double. I was a -6.5. Distance is not too bad but I can’t read a paper nor the computer. I did not know that it was going to be like this. I work and most likely I will have to go on short term disability since I have to use the computer every minute at work. Did someone experience this problem reading? When did it get better? I am very worried and stressed about this. I don’t think I would recommend PRK to anyone after what I am going through. Looking forward to hearing from someone. Thanks.
Jerry on February 23rd, 2010 7:45 pm

hi Julie I am just the opposite of you, I can see very good up close but cant see too good distance is blurry and I am at 9 weeks. The distance has gotten better than what it was 5-6 weeks but hasnt cleared up too much. I have my 3 month check up 17 Mar. Hang in there Julie it is a slow process for most only a few have quick recovery very few….most of us have to have patience, it will come! More to follow in Mar ….thanks !
Jerry
Kevin on February 24th, 2010 11:03 am

Hi all… Julie, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve experienced similar to what you are going through right now. I am 30 days post-op and what used to be very difficult at the computer is now getting easier for longer amounts of time. My doctor explained that while the epithelium (outer layer) heals over in about a week, it has much more healing to do. She said it heals from the outside toward the center, which is why it takes longer to see better, and it has to smooth out over time. At 2 weeks post op, I was still reading the computer with my eyes right up to it and even what I could read (dripping, ghosted letters) would become unreadable quite quickly. Now, I get about a good 1/2 a day at work before it gets worse. Be strict about the drops. Also, the Refresh Optive lubricating drops help when working at the computer because they sort of fill in the imperfections temporarily aiding vision. I was just in for my 1 month post-op appointment yesterday and as it turns out, the area in each eye that still has a ways to go is right over my pupils (lucky me), which explains why vision is often quite poor. In bright light I see pretty good, but the imperfections are still there. My doctor said she is actually relieved to see what’s going on when she looks in my eyes with the dye and blue light equipment because it’s an explanation. I meet with her again in 2 months. I have no hazing so now I’m down to FML drops 2X/day for one month and then that’s over with. She advised me to put hot compresses on my eyes for a minute or two in the morning and night to help my tear ducts. She said I should keep seeing better and better, and in two months she will see where the numbers fall. I am encouraged by the explanation, but patience is a huge part of the process, as is being religious about what they tell you to do with the drops. I welcome encourage success stories from people who have been in a similar situation and achieved their goal… PLEASE POST!!!
Julie on February 24th, 2010 11:18 am

Hi Jerry. Thanks for your response and support. I wish you the best and reading your post seems that you are improving. Today is Wed (13 days later of my PRK), I’ll try to go to work tomorrow. I have my one month follow up in two weeks. I was also thinking of getting a second opinion. Don’t know what to do…I’ll write during the upcoming days to talk about my progress. Thanks!
Julie on February 24th, 2010 4:14 pm

Kevin, thank you so much for your post. It is just great to chat with someone who is experiencing the same situation. I am disapointed because the Dr says that he can not give me a time frame as of when I’ll be able to see better, that everyone heals differently. I am still using Omnipred 5x per day and I use the lubricating drops very often, I have Optive and refresh plus. Tomorrow will be my first day at work. Let’s see how that goes with the computer. Right now I changed the zoom to 200%, will do the same at work. Thanks again!
Tracy on February 25th, 2010 8:41 am

I just want to say that reading through this post and comments completely saved me from freaking out in the week following my PRK! I hadn’t really realized how – random my vision would start to feel.

I had my PRK surgery 7 weeks ago and today I am at 20/15 vision. I have some dryness still during the day and evening (I spend a LOT of time on the computer) but nothing that’s not manageable with a few drops now and gel at night.

The day after my surgery, I was at about 20/25 and 20/40. Then, of course, it decreased significantly during the week of healing. The first few days would start off better when I woke up and then decrease during the day – a nap seemed to ‘reset’ my eyes, even. I didn’t feel comfortable driving for probably 10 days after surgery – and 3 weeks before I felt like night driving would be safe, I had lots of halos and really bad double vision in my right eye, although my left wasn’t bad.

The double vision in one eye was noticeable until very recently, until probably about 6 weeks out from the surgery, and was probably my biggest source of worry. Sometimes things just seemed blurrier in that eye and sometimes I could literally see letters stacked on one another.

Right now my vision is just so amazing, I can’t stop just – reading things on walls I was 20/200 and 20/400 prior to surgery. The dryness is still noticeable and can be pretty uncomfortable at times, usually when I get focused on work and don’t catch it early.

Overall, I’m extremely happy – I have another checkup at 3 months out from surgery, and crossing my fingers things keep staying solid.
Tracy on February 25th, 2010 8:45 am

PS. My vision started to get much better very rapidly after I finished my regime of steroid drops, my doctor said the combination of pressure, film and ‘bits’ drying and flaking into my eyes can cause some of the poor vision, although it’s crucial to stay on schedule to prevent issues later on.
Kelly on February 25th, 2010 10:03 am

Thanks for posting this. It’s been hard to find much info on the post-op stuff- everything out there seems to be about the procedure itself.

I have my own PRK surgery next week. It sounds like patience will be key in the healing process. Either way, it’s got to be better than I am now. When I did the eye exam, without my glasses, I coudn’t even make out the big letter. I guessed “E,” but they are tricky- they don’t always use “E” for the big letter. It wasn’t an E at all- so now my husband is convinced that I’m blind as a bat.

I guess I figure if I can’t even make out the biggest letter on the eye chart, any improvement from PRK will seem so much better than what I’m stuck with now! Lol
Allan on February 25th, 2010 11:02 am

I had PRK one week ago today. I just had the contact lenses out yesterday. Had a rough few days but the meds did the trick and my vision got a lot better when the lenses came out. My vision is a lot better in my right eye than my left eye. Sometimes it goes back and forth though. Very frustrating but I realize from all the previous posts that I have to be paitent. My cornea was a little too thin so they recommended PRK. I really wish I could have gotten the lasik but overall I think the operation was a success and I would recomment it to anyone if they can put up with a few weeks of discomfort. My identicle twin brother had the PRK a few years ago and he has had amazing results. I hope I can say the same in a few years!!
Allan on February 25th, 2010 11:08 am

Oh, and a question for all you PRK paitents out there. I read a lot about people taking steroid drops after their surgery. I was only instructed to take the antibiotics for four days and then after that the only drops I’ve been taking are the refresh drops. Are the steroid drops only for certain cases? Or should I be taking them as well? It’s been a week since my surgery. Maybe I should ask my surgeon… lol Thanks!
Jeff on February 25th, 2010 1:21 pm

Had PRK last Thursday so one week has passed. Fully agree that the docs don’t really do a great job in disclsoing recovery. After days 1 and 2 after surgery were fine, day 3 was awful. If I hadn’t talked to folks who had gotten this procedure, I would have panicked.

Can see noticable improvement each day and agree that two drops per hour is needed for good vision and discomfort control.
Kevin on February 25th, 2010 2:37 pm

Hi again… about steroid drops. I was on Pred Forte for the first week until the contacts came out. I was told it was the stronger of the steroid drops and I used them 4x/daily. Then, when the contacts came out they switched me to FML drops… another steroid I guess, which is used to prevent hazing. At my one month appointment the other day, the doctor saw no hazing and instructed me to reduce taking them from 4x daily to 2x daily and then in one month stop completely. That will put me at 7-8 weeks post op. Allan, I would ask about the steroids because it is very common for PRK patients and the doctors I’ve talked to are quite strict about taking them. TRACY, question for you… Was it when you discontinued “FML” that improvement came quicker? Just curious if that’s the steroid you are referring to. I am still quite blurry with the stacked letter ghosting in my left eye. Right eye is clearer, but I still experience ghosting as the day goes on and my eyes get more tired. Doctor told me that there is still healing right over my pupils in both eyes, and more dominantly in the left. Today I’m 4 weeks post-op and I’m hoping for another milestone soon. My one-month chart read was anything but impressive. Doctor said she was relieved to see the healing issue over my pupils and made the comment that she was concerned that maybe there “numbers” weren’t the best (for the laser) YIKES!!! But then she quickly backed it up by saying the healing over my pupils and fluctuating vision is a good explanation. I’m encouraged by the explanation, but like most PRK patients, I want to see it to believe it … literally!
Kevin on February 26th, 2010 5:20 am

Good morning… Here’s a phenomenon that maybe someone can shed some light on. It is now morning. I woke up about 1/2 hour ago, put hot compresses on my eyes and lubricated them with Refresh Optive. I gave it five minutes or so and came out to the living room. Everything is mostly crystal clear in both eyes. I treasure this because I know within the next 1/2 hour it will get progressively worse. It’ll still be ok until I get under those florescent work lights in the next two hours and I’ll begin to go blurrier and by noon will be seeing those stacked letters. I’m one month post-op. Just curious… Is the great morning vision a sign of what’s to come? Is that my actual refracted vision and a glimpse of it? If so… a good sign and encouraging. Why is it so good first thing in the morning?
Kevin on February 26th, 2010 7:02 am

Also – I should add that eyes are clear BEFORE compresses and lubricating drops, even though they make it more comfortable.
Tracy on March 1st, 2010 12:11 pm

Kevin

- Yes, it was when I switched completely off the reduced steroid (a generic fluormetholone) drop that things became rapidly clearer faster and the double vision stopped within the week.

At where you were it was about the worst for me, lots of stacked vision and my situation was very similar to those – I’d wake up really clear and then get worse through the day as my eyes got tired and I added steroid and refresh drops.
Kevin on March 1st, 2010 2:54 pm

Tracy – Thanks for sharing… that’s encouraging. There are plenty of moments when I wonder how much better my vision will get. My left eye has the most blurriness and double vision, but it happens in my right eye, too. In the bright light, it’s better, but as soon as I walk in my office building it is far worse, then all day I sort of cope with it. I just tried Refresh Celluvisc gel drops to see if a little more lube helps. I think it helps a little, but issues are still there so it must come down to healing. I will continue to be patient and am uplifted by your story! Thanks so much. Also, I’m down to 2x day on FML and will be off of it in 3 weeks, just in time for a Florida vacation. Maybe there’s hope that the ocean, Disney Castle and nighttime parade will be nice and clear?!!!
LeAnne on March 3rd, 2010 10:34 am

I went for a Lasix evaluation yesterday and was told I would need PRK instead. I am scheduled for March 13th and will have monovision and custom something done. I have fibromyalgia and a low tolerance for pain, so am a bit worried about the healing procedure. This blog site is wonderful and gives me a range of different things to expect. I would rather be prepared for what could happen, than be surprised later. Brian’s explanation of the surgery (sounds, smells, etc)will be of great comfort to know what is about to happen. I also feel the doctor’s explanation of what is ahead is a bit downplayed! For the women who have had this done: At what time can you begin to wear eye makeup again? I don’t want to sound vain, but I look much better with mascara than without:)
Kelly on March 9th, 2010 8:24 am

I’m back! I had my PRK surgery on Friday, as I mentioned in an earlier post. I literally kept my eyes closed from Friday until yesterday (Monday) afternoon. He said healing looked great- speedy. He said the fact that I kept my eyes closed so much probably helped with that. So if you can, keep those peepers closed as much as possible. They instructed me how to clean my eyelashes because they were quite gunky. I was on Ibuprofen and Lyrica, and then Percocet as needed. Also was doing Xibrom, Vigamox, and Omnipred drops along with refreshing drops. My vision before surgery was 20/400. After testing yesterday, one eye was 20/30 and the other was 20/25. Amazing.

He told me to go ahead and take out my contact bandages myself today (since I use to wear contacts) and instructed me on the technique (pinch and swipe down, not just pull off), so I’ll take those out later this afternoon. Since yesterday, I was taken off Lyrica, and I just take Ibuprofen and Percocet as needed (which I definitely needed this morning- lots of pain). Now I just have to do Omnipred 4x a day and refreshing drops at least every hour. Pain has ranged from burning sensation (kind of like you are stuck staring at the sun), to gravelly feelings, like something is in your eyes, to sometimes feeling like someone is pushing in on your eyes with their thumbs. As long as you are proactive with meds, however, most of it can be quickly taken care of.

I’m still a bit nervous to drive, but he said I could do so if I wanted to. It’s definitely been an amazing, albeit trying experience. I would certainly do it all over again, and my eyes are still a good deal blurry right now- although, a bit blurry still seems miles better than my crappy vision before the surgery.

The surgery itself was easy and was very quick. The hardest part is not being able to see for a few days afterwards and dealing with a bit of pain, and drowsiness from the meds. For mine, they didn’t patch my eyes afterwards or anything, just sunglasses and instructed to keep eyes closed. Slept with special “glasses” that had padding so that you didn’t hit your eyes during sleep. I called these my “eye bumpers,” lol. I wore swim goggles while I showered to keep water and soap from getting into my eyes.

Hope that gives some more light on the post-op experience for PRK.