Disclaimer

This website is only for basic information. It is not to be considered medical advice or a substitute for obtaining your own medical consultation, during which you will be informed also about possible risks, side effects and restrictions of refractive & cataract surgery. Not all treatment options are approved or offered in every country and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. This site is also not intended for patients and healthcare providers residing in the United States of America and Japan.

Aftercare and healing

Recovery after PRK

What to expect after laser vision correction

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The PhotoRefractive Keratectomy (PRK) procedure corrects a wide range of refractive errors, including myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and astigmatism. The procedure involves complete removal of the epithelium (the upper layer of your cornea) to allow your surgeon to sculpt the tissue below with a laser, thereby correcting your vision. Surgery takes around 15 minutes per eye and is performed as an outpatient procedure. But what happens post-surgery? How long does it take for your eyes to heal and recover? Discover more about PRK aftercare here.

The first few days after surgery

Your surgeon will have inserted a bandage contact lens at the end of your treatment which helps your eye to recover and promotes regrowth of the epithelium layer. This lens may be removed in most cases about three days after the treatment, depending on how fast the eye heals.

In the days after surgery, you should avoid rubbing your eyes and try not to let them come into contact with water.

You should also use the antibiotics or anti-inflammatory eye drops prescribed by your doctor for about a month post-surgery to help promote proper corneal healing. Always complete the course of treatment, even if you feel your eye has healed.
The subsequent weeks after surgery

As the cornea stabilises and adapts to its new shape, your vision may be blurry or fluctuate for several weeks after PRK surgery. You may also experience some discomfort, such as slight eye pain, burning, itching or sensitivity to light. These symptoms can usually be controlled by medication.

Please note, you must not participate in strenuous activity or sport until your eye doctor advises you it is safe to do so.
The months after surgery and long-term aftercare

You will need to attend regular follow-up visits with your doctor to monitor your healing and vision progress.

PRK recovery times

How long does it take to achieve improved vision?

Recovery is a very personal process and healing times vary from patient to patient. Typically, recovering from PRK surgery takes longer than other types of laser vision corrections because the corneal epithelium needs time to regenerate and heal. However, vision should take about a month to gradually improve, and most patients achieve visual stability within three to six months after PRK surgery.

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It normally takes your eye around three days to grow back a new layer of epithelium cells over your cornea. After that, your doctor will remove the bandage contact lens, and you should be able to see more clearly. It will then take about a month for most patients´ vision to stabilize, and your eye may feel uncomfortable, gritty and itchy at times after the PRK surgery.
Compared to the other laser vision correction techniques, the PRK has longer recovery time as there is an extra step involved in the healing process; the corneal epithelium, which is completely removed during the treatment, has to grow back naturally. This process takes about three days, so this has to be added to the overall recovery time.
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