How Long Will It Take my Post PRK (10 Weeks) Glare and my Left Eye (20/30) to Heal?

Question

I had PRk Surgery 10 weeks ago. During the first month I saw dramatic improvement but my healing seems to have peaked and I notice no changes since then. My left eye is not 20/10 and I have glare issues with both eyes in low light. Will these issues resolve? I hear some people saying they pretty much heal over the first month; others tell me that the transition between the 3rd and 4th month is the final round of big changes. Any advice?

Craig F. Beyer, DO · Answer

In our practice, it is very unusual for someone not to reach their best correct vision after PRK within the first month after surgery.  This is because we treat dry eyes aggressively both before and after PRK.  In our practice, approx. 80% achieve best corrected vision within 1 week and the other 20% within one month.  The people who require up to one month typically have dry eyes or were not diligent in keeping their eyes moist with artificial tears or serum tears within the first 72 hours after PRK.  Most certainly, you should receive punctal plugs, or Restasis, or serum tears, and/or bandage lenses, or a combination of any of these if this is the result of dry eyes.  Also, there is the distinct possibility that you are slightly over or under corrected and an enhancement may be in order.  We typically wait at least 3 mos post PRK to decide whether or not an enhancement is necessary. - Thanks for the question Dr. Craig Beyer ...

Mark Golden, MD · Answer

PRK takes somewhat longer than LASIK to heal, but most of the healing is over in about a month.  There can be some minor changes that may occur up to three months.  For that reason, I suggest that PRK patients wait a minimum of three months before considering a second procedure.  The higher is the prescription, the more likely is the need for a second procedure.  Even before surgery, you should have been made aware of the potential need for an enhancement (fine-tuning procedure).  In our practice the risk of an enhancement is 2-10%.  For those very high amounts of astigmatism, the risk of enhancement may much higher. There is typically no charge for the enhancement procedure.  With PRK, the enhancement is just like the initial procedure.

How Long Will It Take my Post PRK (10 Weeks) Glare and my Left Eye (20/30) to Heal?

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How Long Will It Take my Post PRK (10 Weeks) Glare and my Left Eye (20/30) to Heal?

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Everything you need to know about PRK Laser Eye Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.