Recovery after PRK eye surgery usually involves several days of blurry vision, light sensitivity, tearing, and mild to moderate discomfort while the surface of your cornea heals. Your eyesight should gradually improve, but it can fluctuate before stabilizing. Unlike LASIK, PRK surgery doesn’t create a corneal flap, so the outer layer of the cornea must grow back after treatment.
Based in Huntington Beach and serving Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and communities throughout Orange County, Clarity Eye Group has provided medical and surgical care for more than 40 years. Dr. Antoine Fahd completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of California, Irvine, followed by fellowship training in refractive surgery and laser vision correction.
The Day of Your PRK Procedure
PRK is performed on an outpatient basis, so you’ll return home the same day with a trusted adult driving you. A bandage contact lens will be placed over each treated eye to protect the cornea while new cells grow.
Plan to rest with your eyes closed as much as possible. Your vision will probably be blurry, and your eyes might feel watery, gritty, or sensitive to light. Use every prescribed eye drop according to your instructions, and don’t rub or press on your eyes.
Days One Through Three
Discomfort and light sensitivity often become more noticeable during the first two or three days. Your eyes may sting, burn, tear, or feel as though something is caught beneath your lids. Vision can remain quite blurry, so reading, computer work, driving, and detailed tasks may be difficult.
Keep screen time brief and take frequent breaks. Sunglasses can make bright settings more comfortable. You may shower, but avoid getting water, soap, shampoo, or other products in your eyes.
Days Four and Five
By the fourth or fifth day, the corneal surface is typically much further along in the healing process. Tearing and discomfort often ease, although your eyesight may still seem hazy or inconsistent.
You’ll usually return for a follow-up visit around this stage. Once your doctor confirms that the surface has healed sufficiently, the bandage contact lenses can be removed. Don’t take them out yourself.
Days Six and Seven
Some people can return to work within several days, while others need about a week, depending on their vision, comfort, and job responsibilities. You may still notice glare, halos, dryness, or trouble focusing, particularly later in the day.
Continue using prescribed drops and artificial tears. Follow your doctor’s instructions about driving, exercise, swimming, eye makeup, and dusty environments, since the recommended waiting period differs for each activity.
The Following Weeks and Months
Vision generally becomes clearer over the next several weeks, but day-to-day fluctuation is normal. Substantial improvement may be present around one month, with final results developing over approximately three months.
Follow-up visits remain important even when your eyes feel comfortable. Contact your surgeon promptly if you experience sudden or worsening vision loss, severe or deepening pain, unusual discharge, swelling, increasing redness, or other symptoms that intensify.
Schedule a PRK Consultation Today
For post-PRK guidance based on your eyes and prescription, contact us at Clarity Eye Group. The team serves Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Orange County, CA, and can be reached at (714) 842-0651.