PRK Eye Surgery

If you are about to undergo PRK eye surgery, there are some risks involved. You want to consult with your doctor, of course, for the true risks and preparation materials for this kind of surgery for your unique situation.

If you decide to go ahead with PRK eye surgery, you will need an initial or baseline evaluation by your eye doctor to determine if you are a good candidate. If you wear contact lenses, it is a good idea to stop wearing them before your baseline evaluation and switch to wearing your glasses full-time. Contact lenses change the shape of your cornea for up to several weeks after you have stopped using them depending on the type of contact lenses you wear. Not leaving your contact lenses out long enough for your cornea to assume its natural shape before surgery can have negative consequences.

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The consequences to this include inaccurate measurements and a poor surgical plan that results in poor vision after the surgery. These measurements, which determine how much corneal tissue to remove, may need to be repeated at least a week after your initial evaluation and before the surgery in order to make sure they have not changed.

When you’re about to undergo PRK eye surgery, you’ll want to stop wearing your soft contact lenses for two weeks before your initial evaluation. If you wear toric soft lenses, you should stop wearing them for at least three weeks before your initial evaluation. If you wear hard lenses, you should stop wearing them for at least four weeks before your initial evaluation.

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You’ll want to tell your eye doctor about your past and present medical and eye conditions and about all the medications you are currently taking, including over-the-counter medications and any medications you may be allergic to. In addition, your doctor should perform a thorough eye exam and discuss with you whether you are a good candidate. He should talk with you about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the surgery, what you should expect before, during, and after the surgery, and what your responsibilities will be before, during, and after the surgery. You’ll want to have the opportunity to ask your doctor any questions you have during this discussion. Give yourself plenty of time to think about the risk and benefits and review any informational literature that your doctor provides.