Zap! Perfect vision.
That’s what I’d thought would happen. Instead, I’m biding my time in recovery for 11 weeks since my PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) laser eye surgery.
Up until college I had “okay” vision. Then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t read the overheads. (Overheads – now I’m dating myself!) Since then, and for a couple of decades, I’ve been a 20-40 near-sighted fellow.
What My PRK Procedure Was Like
The procedure itself is pretty quick and pain-free. It took no more than 2 or 3 minutes per eye. Most of that time was ablating the surface to prepare for the laser. Everything is numbed up quite well.
Then the laser itself is a mere 2-3 seconds. Granted, if your vision is -5 to -10, the laser could take up to 10 seconds! Still, all you’re looking at is a blurry green halo, all the while.
I noticed the faint smell of burning tissue but it was no worse than that smell when you get a cavity filled at the dentist. If you can get past this and the sensation (albeit numb) of the surface of your eye being scraped off, you’re good to go…
I was pretty amazed at how well I could see coming out of the “operating” room. From that point until about day 6 or 7, the main discomfort was the sensation of having a grain of sand or eyelash stuck in my eye.
I could even drive if I had to. But you need someone to accompany you and drive you home after the procedure.
My PRK Recovery Timeline, Part 1
The first 24-48 hours after the procedure weren’t that rough, truth be told. I could see 20/20 from both eyes. The reason? Very little of my ablated cornea had grown back in yet.
When it does, the new epithelial layer grows back in a crystalline pattern to protect the cornea. After five or six days this process should be complete.
The grueling part is the latter half of day 2 and all of day 3 when your eyelids don’t want to stay open.
Day 3 sucked eggs. This is when the brunt of the procedure hit me. I couldn’t keep my eyelids open, so I stayed in bed much of the day, listening to a symphony of pounding as the roofers went to town nailing down new shingles above me.
Funny, since Day 3 was the day my eye doc said I’d be ready to return to work. Ha!
At least the contact lens bandages came off as planned by day 6. (Don’t worry – they’re completely transparent. These bandages won’t affect your vision. The re-growing epithelial layer WILL.)
My advice? Give yourself the day of the procedure off. Try to work a half-day the first half of day 2, keep day 3 blocked on your work calendar, and attempt a half day again on day 4. Granted, everyone’s experience is somewhat unique.
Just be sure to plan with your boss and have a back-up host manage your Airbnb for a few days. You’ll need to rest your eyes a decent amount on days 2, 3, and 4. By day 5, you are functioning pretty much back to normal.
Why I Chose PRK Over LASIK
When it comes to refractive surgeries, PRK is similar to LASIK. With the latter, a flap is made on the surface of your eye, pulled back, and the laser does its magic. You generally have your corrected vision fully within 24-48 hours.
PRK is different. The surface of the eye is ablated (scraped away, in medical terms), then the laser zaps the eye, then you get a big clear contact lens bandage applied. In anywhere from a month to six months, you get your perfect vision.
So why in the world would anyone want to subject themselves to such a long recovery, and a semi-grueling 3-5 days of post-operative suffering? There are a couple of things I learned in my research comparing PRK (ablate and suffer) with LASIK (flap and done!):
- PRK does not create a flap. The flap created with LASIK can come loose if knocked by an elbow of a small child or MMA fighter. Or a twig recoiled by the inconsiderate hiker in front of you. Sadly, with LASIK that flap never fully heals. So you need to be mindful of that if you’re an active sort, or like me, paranoid.
- PRK does not cause dry eyes to nearly the same degree as LASIK. I have mild dry eyes in wintertime. No need to make that problem worse.
- PRK is the procedure of choice by the U.S. Air Force. Top Gun. Tom Cruise. You know the outfit. Wait – whoops, that’s the Navy. Still, when pilots are opting to go with PRK for the two reasons above, plus anecdotal evidence of the reduced long-term need for further correction vs. LASIK, I will sign up for THAT.
Of course, the downsides of PRK vs. LASIK are the crappy first few days of post-op recovery (it’s just uncomfortable, not painful at all) and having to wait up to six months (in some cases) for the eyes to stabilize.
Compare it like this: PRK recovery is a long, up and down, cross-country train ride.
While LASIK recovery is a quick non-stop flight. Well, all-aboard the long-haul PRK express for me!
Laser Eye Correction Is a Good Investment
The return on that investment is limited only by your age. The older you get, the less viable the procedure is, particularly if you expect to have cataract surgery in your 70s or 80s. In that case, voila – new lenses!
Bear in mind, that I didn’t go through with this procedure to save money. If the opportunity cost were flipped, I’d still go through with it.
Why? I hate eyeglasses. Just not a big fan. Fumbling between regular glasses and sunglasses is a pain in the butt. Keeping lenses clean is a pain in the butt. Biking in cold, winter weather when you want a muffler over your face? Can’t do it – fogs up your glasses.
Shall I keep going? Okay. Driving. Ever go on a long road trip and find that the bridge of your nose is sore? Yeah. Wearing annoying eyeglasses too long. Want to go for a quick run and see well, without wearing dorky glasses? Check.
Squinting to death while trying to follow the action at an over-priced sports event? Sigh…
Maybe the reason I enjoyed getting to the movie theater so much as it was the first time I’d seen a flick without glasses. There have been a few times I’d forgotten my specs at a restaurant or even had them broken in a polka mosh-pit (long story).
You get the idea. Glasses suck. And to think I had a pair of fake glasses in high school to look cool. Sigh…
What Is the Cost of PRK?
The upfront cost of the procedure in my case was almost $4,000. Gulp.
That includes the procedure and the bevy of prescription eye drops you need to use for three months of recovery after the procedure. I paid with my new Chase Ink Business Preferred card. Those 35,000 airline bonus miles take away some of the wallet pain.
I then reimbursed myself with the good old HSA. All said and done, that $4,000 came out to $2,330 (reduced 33% for HSA as it’s pre-tax, and $350 for the cash value of the miles).
The question is, does that $2,330 help me avoid paying for new glasses every four years or so? In the past, I’d sometimes just swap out lenses if the frames weren’t too out of fashion. Let’s make the argument that every five years I have to fork over about $700 for new eyeglasses and sunglasses (after taking into account HSA savings).
PRK one-time true cost: $2,330
Ongoing: Readers and Cheap Sunglasses every 5 years: $200 ($40 per year) – not using HSA for these nominal costs.
vs.
Rx Transition Lenses and Rx Sunglasses every 5 years: $700 – factoring in HSA “discount”
Plus, let’s not forget Rx Contact Lenses (disposable) for misc. armchair athletics: $300 – Reduced by HSA as well
In summary, I could fork over a big chunk now and only have to worry about nominal eye-wear costs going forward, or, continue to have to reload on corrective eyeglasses roughly every five years.
Here’s what I give up in a 20-year index fund investing at 7% inflation-adjusted returns, by investing instead in PRK:
PRK plus ongoing eyeglasses / contacts: $10,771
Continue with full Rx eyeglasses / contacts: $12,643
I chose a 20-year cut-off since I might need lens replacement by then if cataracts strike. It’s a win-win situation at that point since you get perfect vision with those new lenses implanted. Or, maybe I’ll luck out and never have to worry about it. I do like being in the sun though…
Weggis, Switzerland (pronounced, “Vegas”) PRK recovery isn’t complete without glass-free vistas!
Will I Need Reading Glasses?
Every month I go back to the eye doc to see how things are shaping up. The left eye continues to be the winner in the race, giving me 20/20 distance clarity. The right eye has improved from month 1 where I had a correction of -2.0, to month 2, where I improved to -1.0. Things get doubled/blurry after about 10 feet of distance.
There’s a concept called “monovision” that I’m experiencing at this stage. I can read up close just fine, thanks to my still myopic right eye, and I can take in distances pretty well too, thanks to a strong left eye.
Some folks opt to correct just one eye so they can avoid readers, while still maintaining distance vision. This assumes you can put off the inevitability of presbyopia in that nearsighted eye.
And that brings us to a downside of corrective laser eye surgery in general, PRK or LASIK, doesn’t matter: You’ll need to start wearing those lovely readers years sooner than you would otherwise.
That’s right. Bring on those readers! Wahhhhh!!! My eye doc says in general, you might need readers a good 5-10 years sooner than you otherwise would have, because you’ve made your eyes so strongly far-sight biased. This is the main reason I held off on getting corrective eye surgery back in my late 30s.
So now we’ll see how long it’ll be before I have to pick up those cheap reader specs at Walgreen’s just to read a book. I’m hoping to squeeze another four or five years out of these eyeballs before that’s needed.
Does Corrective Eye Surgery Cause Inflammation?
I had the advantage of being familiar with my surgeon prior to pursuing corrective vision. As an ophthalmologist, he provided care with my recurring bouts of iritis (anterior uveitis).
I have had a couple of mild flares since my PRK procedure, but each time after a few weeks of Durezol steroid drops, I’m back to near-perfect vision. I’ve observed that gluten (and stress) contribute to my flare-ups… I wonder if Mila Kunis has gone gluten-free?
Other Out of Pocket Expenses With PRK
Make sure you have decent Rx coverage because certain newer drops like Lotemax (another steroid that is required for all patients after a procedure) ain’t cheap. Fortunately, my eye doc keeps a stash of coupons which lowered my out-of-pocket cost to $60 a bottle.
Want to know how many little bottles of eye drops you go through, post-recovery? At least 5. The procedure was $3,700, and drops alone were $300. HSA dollars help a LOT.
My PRK Recovery Timeline, Part 2
For the past four-plus months since the procedure in late April, my left eye has carried the load with 20/20 clarity.
But my right eye has been a laggard, taking its sweet time to heal from 20/30 to barely 20/20 four months on. Here’s the rest of the saga…
Many of the accounts I’ve read online are similar to my experience. PRK recovery duration varies a LOT, person to person. My wife had PRK done last fall with a -10 correction. And yet it only took about 8 weeks for her to reach 20/15 in both eyes. I’m nowhere near that recovery speed.
Some patients take up to six months, or even longer, to reach 20/15. And sometimes it’s not gradual at all. You just wake up and suddenly your eyesight is perfect. I’m hoping to experience some perfection soon since my right eye is still stuck at 20/30.
Late July 2018: Three months post-surgery update: My eyes seem to have regressed over the past week. At my check-up, I needed some powerful refraction to see the charts. I managed 20/30 in my “good” left eye, and 20/50 in my right!
This after being about 20/20 on the left and 20/30 on the right for the better part of the first couple of months post-op. My eye doc says that if you’re not “there” by month three, then a touch-up is usually in the cards. So I set up a time for November to get it done just before Thanksgiving. The question is, will I have both eyes touched up, or just the, right?
The good news is that my doc will cover the cost of the procedure (not unusual), but also the facility cost which is just north of $700. Nice!
Early September 2018: Four-plus months post-surgery update: Some minor improvements. I wonder if being in Colorado with higher elevations had anything to do with that last dip in clarity at month 3, or was it simply getting off the steroid drops at that same time? Regardless, my left eye is back to 20/20 and shockingly, my right is technically 20/20 as well.
It’s interesting to have both eyes at 20/20 since my right is still not quite as strong as the left at this point. I’m still hoping to eventually get to 20/15 in both eyes. If I can get there with the left, and improve the 20/20 on my right, I may just opt out of that touch-up procedure in November. Riding my bike, driving, and watching TV for an hour at night are just peachy. I can read the very fine print on the TV with the right eye which is nice.
At this point, the touch-up in November is up for grabs. My doc would like to avoid doing anything while my eyes are still changing. Makes sense. Overall, I’d say my vision is 50% improved from before the procedure. I went in at -1.5 and am now at -1.0 and -0.75. My up-close vision is holding on fine with computer work and reading, but I have some days where at least in the morning, it’s tough to focus. Readers could be on the horizon…
Late October 2018: Six months after the procedure: I had yet another check-in visit with my eye doc. Interestingly, I had a harder time this time reading the eye chart than I did in early September. But, the refraction test (when they correct your vision with the big fancy View-Master) was an improvement over early September. WTF??
Sure enough, my brain had begun to subconsciously memorize the eye chart. Even though I couldn’t make out the syntax to save my life on the 20-20 line, I had seen the sequence so many times before, that the pattern had stuck in my head. So I asked the tech to give me a new random set. And hence, I did worse this time: 20-25, vs. 20-20 (supposedly) the previous month.
The good news? The refraction part is the test that shows how powerful a prescription you need for 20-15 vision. I’m now -0.75 and -0.50, an improvement of 0.25 in both eyes! I guess for some of us, you need to be patient and give your eyes time to adjust and heal. Not everyone who gets PRK will get to 20-20 or 20-15 within three months. Some of us poor saps can take six months or even a full year!
I’m glad I’ve held off on getting a touch-up, and my eye doc agrees. I can see well enough now that I’ll hold off from getting a touch-up at least until early spring 2019, if at all. Let’s see how our check-in in mid-December goes. Fingers (and eyes?) crossed!
Early March 2019: Roughly ten months after the procedure: Good news and bad news this check-in. The bad news first – I had another iritis (uveitis) flare-up in my right eye. Not a huge deal and this is nothing related to the PRK procedure since I had this eye condition beforehand.
Even though I got the flare quickly under control with the drops, the drops themselves cause your vision to lose a touch of clarity.
So the right eye came in worse this time, at 20/30. The good news?? My left eye (unaffected by the iritis) scored 20/15 on the refraction test! Yippee!!! So, it took roughly 9 to 10 months for the PRK Train to finally reach its destination in that eye.
The other good news? A week after the eye doc check-in, about two weeks after the iritis abated and I was off the drops, my right eye has bounced back nicely. I think it’s 20/20! We’ll get the certified results after my next check-up in late April, exactly one-year post-procedure.
Late April 2019: The 12-Month Mark! And after a full year of PRK recovery, what do we get? 20/20 in BOTH eyes! I’m probably close to 20/15 in both eyes now. I never would’ve thought I’d get there after such a long journey. My right eye consistently lagged at 20/40, 20/30, 20/25, and finally, 20/20.
Only at month 11 did I start to recognize how clear my vision had become during drives home after work. We’ll see if there’s any future change, but assuming I’ve “locked in”, I’m very happy to have finally crossed the finish line.
August 2019: Good grief. Another bout of inflammation in the right eye in July. My vision is struggling to get back to 20/20 a good three weeks after getting off Durezol. Maybe 20/30? Time to visit the eye doc!
March 2020: After finding that gluten causes my iritis I’ve given up on craft beer. Ouch! But there are plenty of decent GF brews out there, and I’m okay with cocktails too, so I don’t miss the beer much at all.
As for my vision? I’d say things have stabilized to the point that I’m incredibly happy with my PRK outcome. I don’t even notice the superficial difference between my clear 20/20 left eye and fuzzy 20/20 in the right. How often do we go about life with one eye closed, anyhow??
2021-2022: 20/15 in both eyes! I think I got here without even realizing it. That’s how discrete the difference is between 20/20 and 20/15. The cool thing about writing a blog is I can share my experience and hopefully help others make informed decisions.
Seeing is believing!
Join the Legion of Cubicle Doom!
Sign up to have new posts and special updates sent directly to your inbox.
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.
I have had astigmatism since middle school, and have considered surgery several times. Every time I am irritated with my glasses, to be honest. But it is not very bad. I can manage without glasses although I can’t see every thing.
Last year, everything looked blurry, and I was told that I needed reading glasses. At the ripe old age of 36. But the good news is that my astigmatism is slightly better. Hoping that it will go down further as my eye muscles get weaker…
Hope you get better soon. I agree that glasses are bad! That cost is worth it even without the future savings.
Reading glasses at 36? That’s no fun at all, my friend. You should check with an ophthalmologist and see if you’re a good candidate for the laser!
Yikes – I didn’t realize that it causes your close up vision go sooner! I hate hate hate dealing with contacts and glasses but I so don’t want to lose the one very good part of my vision, which is being able to read without them. Out of the two though, I think I’d opt for PRK as well – a bit more discomfort is worth the better outcome every time.
Yeah – great selling point, huh?? You could opt to do just one eye now (your dominant one) and have monovision until you turn about 45-50. Best of both worlds.
I am exactly 4 months out after having PRK. The last time I went to my local eye doctor I am 20/30 in on eye and 20/40 in the other. I keep reading how long it takes for vision to stabilize but I find it SOOO hard to believe that it will improve. I am hoping I will be pleasantly surprised but I honestly am not hopeful. I absolutely miss so so terribly being able to take my glasses off to read. Basically, everything is blurry now. I am 51 and expected that I would need reading glasses to read. I need them for everything within my reach. The computer is the WORST. At least I do not have discomfort in my eyes that is unbearable for people. This makes me not want to have an adjustment if it is what I end up needing. They say it can take up to 6 months and longer. So I suppose I still have time. I am going back to the facility which did the procedure next week. I definitely would not have had it done at this point.
Hi Chris! You’ve got a ways to go yet, my friend. Hold on and be patient. I just had my 12 month check up yesterday. I finally got to 20/20 in both eyes. My right eye was the lagging one, and it wasn’t until oh, March, 11 months after the procedure, that I got from 20/30 (and at times 20/40) to 20/20! Avoid a redo procedure until you’ve given it a full year!
I felt the same way as you, Chris, for the longest time, especially in that first 6-9 months. Then, I adapted to the situation, feeling like I’d probably get a redo anyhow. Right around the time I figured we would pull trigger on a redo, my next refraction showed improvement! Funny how it works. PRK can truly be the slow boat to China vs. the Lear Jet. Hang in there my friend! It WILL get better!
How is your vision now Chris? Did you get it redone or did your vision improve?
I hope your eyes get to 20/20 soon. I thought about surgery when I was young, but decided not to do it. It was pretty new then and wasn’t proven for the long term. I don’t really mind glasses so it’s not a big deal to me. Now, I don’t want to have any eye surgery because my family has a history of eye problems. With that issue, it’s best to just leave my eyes alone until they really need surgery.
Yikes – it’s no fun when there are certain genetic markers in the mix. I think you’re making the right call, Joe.
Nice analysis Cubert. I’ve walked right up to the line of scheduling PRK a few times but I’ve stopped each time. Ultimately in my case it’s the risk of loss of night vision not other things that stop me. For glasses I use Zeni Optical so I’m only spending about 15 dollars a pair of glasses so it’s not a financial question. I find my glasses annoying only when I’m athletically active, so lasik was never in the discussion but I have considered it multiple times.
Thank you! The nice thing with PRK is less issues with night halos – since there is no flap incision, as with Lasik. It can still happen, but is very rare.
Hey there, Cubert.
I consider this exact situation every year at open enrollment for benefits. For me, I prefer my glasses by far to wearing contacts (after about 8 hours I just want the dang things out of my eyes). But I don’t know if I’d prefer lasic or this procedure you had done to having to get Warber Parky glasses & sunglasses every year or two.
I kind of like my glasses but will admit that it’s way nicer to have peripheral vision. But I’m scared of being cut, or the doctor messing it up! More likely, I just don’t like the idea of having to do it again later…
Senor! Yeah I’m with you on preference of glasses over contacts. Sometimes I’d forget I was wearing contacts and would wake up with super dry and irritated eyes.
I’ll have to keep you and my other readers posted on how soon I wind up with the Warber Parky’s. LOL. But who knows? If my right eye stays lame, I’ll have an unintended monovision scenario, and avoid readers for the time being.
Thanks for the write up. I’m thinking about the decision to have eye surgery or not so very timely. Good to know about the flap too, as you never know when you will be struck by an MMA fighter
Ha ha! Sometimes our twin toddlers *think* they’re MMA fighters. Those elbows are sharp! Best of luck in your decision making process, my friend!
Doesn’t supplemental vision insurance cover these type of procedure? I was just recently (one month ago) diagnosed with astigmatism and vision has gone downhill in the past three years. Too much blogging maybe?
I wish! Typically these procedures are highly elective. So no.
Astigmatism is super common. Give yourself a few years. In your mid 30s to mid 40s vision “settles in” for most, and it’s a good period to consider laser correction. Too much blogging? Never!!! 😉
I must be the poster boy for Lasik. I had it done back in 2001, and haven’t looked back since. For years I was worried about the flap issue, but I’ve taken twigs, grass, rocks, etc to the eye while weedeating over the years with no issues, and have been swimming underwater for several years. I never had issues with dry eyes, halos, night driving or anything.
I have not been back to the eye doctor since 2002 and have not noticed any degradation in my vision. I really do need to put that on my schedule to get done since I’m paying for the benefit. I should have followed up with my surgeon years ago about marketing me as the best case scenario.
Really glad to hear it, Fiber Guy! I know a few people who had one issue or the other, whether it was halos, dry eyes, or degradation after 5-10 years. You either had a great doc, have great eyes, or both!
Great write-up I like hearing others experiences also, I had Lasik twice about 10 years ago I was so near sighted that I was technically legally blind. Initially had 20/20 vision in both eyes but over the years one has regressed back to slightly nearsighted. However I can still go without glasses or contacts as I counterbalance with my other now farsighted one. Back when I had mine done I paid $5500 so good to see the price has come down a little, and yes although expensive the freedom of not being tied to glasses or contacts is priceless. Plus when you consider it’s your eye’s one of the most precious pieces of your body you don’t want to scrimp on them.
Thank you, Kale! (I love me some crispy kale chips, by the way!)
I absolutely agree that you shouldn’t scrimp when it comes to your eyes. The fact that this eye clinic had been my primary eye care spot for almost 20 years made the decision a lot easier.
I had PRK at age 23 where I got to the point where I couldn’t wear contacts anymore. I don’t remember the exact diagnosis, but basically my eyes became allergic to wearing contacts. I was wearing monthly contacts at the time and tried weekly and even the most expensive and top of the line daily contacts. Even the best of the best I couldn’t tolerate in my eyes for even half an hour. I had been wanting to try the laser eye surgery but because of being young and my eyes still changing I was not a candidate earlier. At this point in time I qualified and got the surgery as soon as possible. I was able to open a CareCredit card with 18 months 0% APR, and I would say this surgery is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The most expensive contacts I was on at the end and could barely stand were $4.24/day, so I did the math with what my glasses and those contacts would cost and estimate it will pay itself in 5 years. I had my one year follow up last year, and my eyes are doing fine! I have 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other which is working fine for me. The recovery period wasn’t the greatest, but I still didn’t mind it considering I may go into working in psychology later in life and also got hit in the eye in college in a freak accident and was worried about that happening again.
I highly recommend the surgery to anyone who can do it. I went to a company I was familiar with that my eye doctor recommended, so in all I would estimate it cost me around $5,000. I know there are cheaper places, but since it was my eyes, I wasn’t taking any chances. I have now paid that off and am so glad I got the procedure done!
I found you on Financial Panther by the way 🙂
Hi Sara! Thanks for your thoughtful comment! I’m glad you found your way over here from my friend Kevin’s! He’s a great guy and his site is an excellent source of info on side hustles.
I wish my PRK outcome was faring better. After three months, I’m still fighting to get to 20/20 in either eye. In fact, I’ve already set up a re-do “touch up” on my right eye for this November. Here’s to hoping something “snaps into place” before then!!!
Congratulations on being glasses free! I got LASIK done in April of this year and couldn’t be happier!!
I got consultation from three different eye care clinics (MN Eye Consultants, Edina Eye Care, and Lasik Plus) and one of them recommended PRK over LASIK. I went with the latter as the healing process is much smoother and shorter. Had the procedure done in only one eye though, as my other eye has so little power that no one wanted to touch that one to avoid over-correction!
My #1 reason to get LASIK was …glasses! I hate them with a passion. The best $1,700 I’ve spent.
A-men! At this point I almost wish I had done LASIK! I’m at month 3.5 and still have myopia in my right eye, and even the left is dodgy at 20/30? Going back in November most likey for a touch up. Heavens…
Hai,hows ur eyes now? I got -1.5 1.00 right eye.i m not sure prk is the best or jus go with glasses
Not bad! I think my vision is at 20/20 in both eyes and approaching 20/15 in my left. It’s impressive how clear signage is even at night on drives home after work. More to come after my eye appointment in February! If you only have one eye to do, it may be worth exploring. But know that you’d probably need reading glasses at a younger age as a consequence.
Can you tell I’ve been on your blog all afternoon?
I had PRK and the contact fell out in the middle of the night, the first night. Every time I blinked my eyelid scraped the raw patch, it was not fun and there was nothing I could do until 7 the next morning when they opened to get a new contact. Still, it was the best money I have ever spent.
I sometimes spend many afternoons on my blog – Can’t blame ya! 😉 Truly, I’m honored, good sir!
Re the contact coming out? That sounds really awful!! How long did you need before getting to 20/20? My road has been a long one. At almost month 9 and only now at 20/20.
Thanks for sharing your journey. I was starting to get a little bit nervous with all the positive results found online… I am one month post PRK and I feel as though my vision is worse than what it was during my first two weeks after the surgery. Hearing how your vision fluctuated during the early days has given me some peace of mind… but still… I just want this part to be over already. So glad to hear that your eyes stabilized well. There is hope for us all!
Hi Tamsyn,
Absolutely my pleasure. You can expect your vision to sometimes worsen as the healing takes place. Give it time. It truly is remarkable how someone like my wife, extremely near-sighted reached 20-20 within six weeks, whereas I took six months, and still fluctuated with the right eye over the next six months. (and my near-sightedness was nowhere near as severe as hers!)
I am at the six month mark and the Dr says I am 20/20. I see well enough during the day but at night I still have a hard time seeing. How long did it take for your night vision to clear up? I was a -8 and -9 before surgery.
Hi Susie,
I didn’t have too many issues at night other than a little dryness. And if your eyes get too dry, your vision can get a little cloudy without that good tear film. My wife was -9 too but she had a relatively quick recovery.
What sort of night vision issues do you have?