PRK/Eye surgery

I could not have said it any better myself, so I copied this from West Texas Eye's website. I had eye surgery called PRK last monday May 24. It was indeed very intense and am glad I am on the other side already. I feel great now, although the first few days I could not even keep my eyes open, little pain for me thankfully. Just got a tad stir crazy, cabin fever, sick of home, sick of layin around! My last appointment on Friday they cleared me to drive, that scares me because I dont feel ready to drive, but that means there are people out there driving that cant see real good. They improve move every day. Thanks for the love and support while I was virtually helpless for the last week!

The Procedure:

PRK is performed using topical anesthetic (eye drops that eliminate pain). Next, a small spring-like device is inserted to help keep the eye open. Using a small hand instrument, the front surface cells of the cornea are gently removed. This allows access to the layers of the cornea that need to be treated by the laser.

The laser procedure is then performed on the cornea. It is this "lasering" that shapes the cornea for improved vision. The laser treatment lasts 30 to 90 seconds. Afterwards, a contact lens is placed over the front surface of the cornea. This contact lens acts as a bandage to help the cornea heal its front surface.

The entire procedure takes about 5 minutes to complete. Patients are typically amazed at the comfort and speed of the procedure. Since the eye is completely anesthetized, patients do not feel the instruments or the laser. However, some pressure may be felt by a small spring device, which is used to help keep the eyelids open.

Postoperative Treatment:

Patients are placed on antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops to promote comfort, prevent infection, and reduce inflammation. These drops are used four times a day initially and tapered over a few days to a week. Follow-up examinations are scheduled daily until the front surface of the eye heals (usually two to four days), then at one week, one month, and three months postoperatively.