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Had PRK 1 Week Ago, Right Eye Has Been in Pain and Right Now I'm 20/40, is That Normal?

asked 8 months ago by Magdalena Vazquez Gaitan in Wichita, KS
Latest answer by Ilan Cohen, MD
Question viewed 440 times
Tags: 1 week post-op, normal, pain

I did PRK about a week ago, the day of prk i felt good cuz i was able to see more but i didn't have any pain after 2 hours later only on my right eye. It felt as if something was stinging me. On my left eye i had no pain, only sensitive to the light just as the right one as well. On monday i went to see my doctor and she said i was putting all my drops good how i am supposed too. right now im about 20/40 (left/right) is that normala? will my right eye get much better?..

7 answers to Had PRK 1 Week Ago, Right Eye Has Been in Pain and Right Now I'm 20/40, is That Normal?

+1

Usual course of recovery

I usually explain to my patients who get PRK that their vision will seem good right after surgery and then get worse before it gets better. This is due to the normal healing sequence. It takes time for inflammation to develop in the eye and cause mild blur after the surgery. Then, when the inflammation subsides and the cornea heals, the vision will improve. It can be scary if it is unexpected but it is the typical course.
Ilan Cohen, MD

New York Ophthalmologist
+1

Visual recovery after Prk

Visual recovery after PRK can take as long as 3 months, although vision usually improves within 2-4 weeks. LASIK patients recover much more quickly, often within days. At the 3 months time point, LASIK and PRK patients generally both obtain excellent vision.
Christopher Coad, MD

New York Ophthalmologist

www.lasikdoctornyc.com

+1

Vision after PRK

It is completely normal for your vision to be 20/40 one weak after a PRK procedure. It takes longer than for Lasik to get complete recovery and ideal vision. Even minor irregularities in your tear film can lead to a decrease in best corrected vision. It is also possible to experience some minor haze and dryness that will lead to some visual problems. It sounds like your surgery went well and your vision should stabilize within a few weaks. Your doctor may prescribe a longer course of drops,... more
Natalie Borodoker, MD

New York Ophthalmologist
+1

Vision after PRK

It takes substantially longer for vision to stabilize after PRK than with LASIK. I tell all of my PRK patients to have no great visual expectations for at least two weeks after surgery. 20/40 vision after a week is common and normal.
Mark Golden, MD

Chicago Ophthalmologist
+1

Vision after PRK

The results of PRK do depend upon one's healing. Following healing the front surface of the eye, the corneal epithelium, it does take time to settle down for one's vision to be at the optimal level. This may take from one week to six months, depending upon an individual's healing. Your vision is within the normal range at this point. Please call your eye doctor with any concerns you might have and go in for an extra visit.
Sandy Feldman, MD

San Diego Ophthalmologist
+1

Visual Results with PRK

PRK is a two step procedure. The first step is, after thoroughly numbing the eye, to gently remove the outer layer of the cornea....it is called the epithelium. The excimer laser pattern is then applied to the cornea and the procedure is complete. It takes somewhere between 3-7 days for the corneal epithelium to completely grow back and, typically, the surgeon leaves a bandage contact lens in your eye while this healing is occurring. Some corneal irritation is not uncommon in the first few... more
Anthony J. Kameen, MD

Baltimore Ophthalmologist

www.kameen.com

+1

Delayed healing after PRK vs LASEK

This is a normal result after PRK, as recovery is slow and painful after PRK, it can also scar this is why i switched to LASEK, which is a form of Advanced Surface Ablation (PRK is the not-advanced type of surface ablation--we use the term surface ablation to indicate we are lasering the surface, not inside the cornea as in the cutting LASIK or IntraLase techniques) LASEK is painless and has fast recovery, unlike PRK. the chance of scarring is also lower ASA involves removing the... more
Emil Chynn, MD

New York Ophthalmologist

www.ParkAvenueLasek.com

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