Two weeks ago I had the PRK laser eye corrective surgery. I wanted LASIK, but my surgeon said I did not have the right eye anatomy to safely do the LASIK procedure. He said to me, “Let me put it to you this way…if you were my brother or my son, we’d be doing PRK.”

Then I heard Miriam say, “OK, he’s getting PRK.”

Well, I guess I’m getting PRK instead of LASIK then. So I did it.

The actual laser correction part is the same in both surgeries. The cost is the same as well. The procedure is slightly different.

In LASIK, the surgeon cuts a hair-thin flap of the epithelium (the “skin” of your eye) which gives the laser access to your cornea. After the lasering the flap is folded back down, and the patient can see perfectly. You can go back to work the next day. This is the one that I really wanted.

In PRK, the epithelium is removed with a chemical and brushed away. After the lasering a protective contact lens “bandage” is placed on the eye for about a week, allowing the epithelium to grow back. Over the next several months the epithelium continues to grow and heal and smooth itself out. Total and complete recover differs, but in most patients it takes about 3 months.

So it’s been two weeks for me. My vision is good enough to be active, to work on a computer, to drive safely, to function as an adult. But my vision isn’t perfectly clear yet, that will come in time. When I try to focus on things I can see them clearly enough, but the details are slightly fuzzed. I have 20/25 in my right eye and 20/30 in my left eye.

My vision clarity fluctuates throughout the day and day by day. At different times during the day my eyes may be drier or blurrier than others. But overall, my vision is getting better, slowly but surely.

I wished I could have had LASIK, but I have no regrets. My surgeon’s endorsement of PRK and why it was better for me has me convinced. That said, I’m impatient for my healing to complete.

Any questions? Feel free to ask.