PRK Eye Surgery Part I: Before the Surgery

I've had glasses ever since I was eight years old, and at that time, the doctor said we had waited too long before getting them. So when my mom suggested that she pay for LASIK surgery for my graduation present, I was ecstatic! To be able to see my toes without the aid of glasses seemed too good to be true. We then made an appointment with the most respected eye surgeon in town, because I'm not trusting my vision with just anyone. He had performed her LASIK eye surgery ten years ago and she is now at 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other.

At the first consultation, they performed a variety of tests to measure the thickness and the shape of the cornea. At that time I was told that I wasn't a candidate for LASIK surgery for two main reasons: my young age (only 21) and also the steep slope of the lower part of my cornea. However, the doctor recommended PRK surgery. PRK surgery is similar to LASIK because the doctor uses the same laser; however he doesn't slice the cornea first. This leaves the opportunity to reapply the surgery later on in life if I need the surgery again; it also reduces the problems that could occur from LASIK when slicing the cornea. The drawbacks are a longer and more painful recovery period

At the second consultation and after the same eye tests, it was decided that my eyes were stable enough to do the surgery. The doctor asked if I had any questions, but I couldn't think of any at the time. Once I got home though, I thought of a million questions. I googled PRK eye surgery but was again and again disappointed when only LASIK eye surgery questions were answered. I felt like I was going into the surgery... (sorry for the pun) blind. I wanted to know things like when I would be able to drive myself, how much pain and would it really fix my 800/20 vision? For goodness sakes, I couldn't even vaguely see the large E that starts all vision charts.

So that's why I am writing this little saga of my PRK eye surgery, so that hopefully I can provide a useful anecdote for others that are considering this surgery. Before the surgery, I, of course, was anxious and extremely excited. I kept testing my vision with and without my glasses, pondering what might happen after the surgery. As the hour drew nearer, I became untenable in my excitement. This is extremely common in patients. More about the day of the surgery will be in the next installment: PRK Eye Surgery Part II: Day of the Surgery.