Question 1

when can i exercise after having prk? my doctor told me i'd need about a week of downtime after prk. does that include exercise?

Accepted Answer

No: After prk there is usually about 3-7 days of discomfort and light sensitivity.  Most prefer to relax indoors at this time.  There is no effect of gym activities on the results or healing from a prk however so if you must do it after the surgery, go for it.

Question 2

how would   prepare for prk?

Accepted Answer

See ophthalmologist: You lasik/prk surgeon will do all the work for you in your pre-treatment examinations and answer all questions you might have.  On the day of surgery, eat lightly and try not to worry.  If you are a terribly nervous sort, you might need to have a valium prescribed which your lasik surgeon can prescribe.

Question 3

what happens during prk procedure?

Accepted Answer

Photorefractive: Keratectomy. Type of laser eye surgery. It preceded lasik surgery and is said to have davantages & disadvantages to lasik surgery. This should be discussed with an experienced eye surgeon try and find a surgeon who does at least 5 - 10 such procedures/week. Good luck.

Question 4

how long will it take for me to see clearly after prk?

Accepted Answer

It depends: Prk has a longer visual  recovery than lasik. Like the epidermis of the skin, the cornea has an outer (epithelial) layer that takes around 5 days to regenerate after prk. Many patients wear a contact lens continually for 5 days to speed up this recovery. After the lens is removed, vision can still further improve and get darker and crisper for weeks or months, depending on the level of correction.

Question 5

how long roughly does it take for prk to heal on an average person?

Accepted Answer

About one week: For the average person having PRK eye surgery, the cornea will take about a week, give or take 1-2 days, to fully heal.  It can sometimes take slightly longer for the healed corneal surface to smooth out and for any slight vision imperfections to clear.  Always follow up with your eye surgeon and follow all post operative instructions carefully.

Question 6

is  it normal for traffic lights to be smugged / scattered at distance 1 month after prk, if this issue didn't exist at week 2? will it resolve?

Accepted Answer

Careful, normal only: means common; not good (2 very different issues). PRK outcomes very variable &amp; often do not stabilize until 6 months out, or longer; the reason this Russian technique has been largely replaced by Lasik approaches. Even first generation Lasik was more reliable than PRK &amp; Lasik has progressed through several generations. Suggest seeking out someone with lots of experience &amp; worthy of your trust.

Question 7

i have starbursts around lights after prk. at week two there were no problems but a day later i noticed them and no improvement. can this improve?

Accepted Answer

PKR: Final results of PRK surgery are comparable to LASIK outcomes, but initial PRK recovery is slower because it takes a few days for new epithelial cells to regenerate and cover the surface of the eye. There also is a slightly increased risk of eye infection and haziness of vision in the first few days after surgery. vision improvement with PRK is gradual and the final outcome can take several weeks.

Question 8

is prk preferred over lasik?

Accepted Answer

Depends: The outcomes at 3 months and beyond are essentially equivalent between the two. Prk is used over lasik in a number of situations, such as risk of contact sports, occupation, thin corneas, irregular steepness on topography, or surgeon/patient preference.

Question 9

haze after prk and mitomycin c, should i be concerned?

Accepted Answer

Varying severity: Haze can be mild to severe. Mild haze is unlikely to affect your vision. Your eye surgeon will titrate some of the medications during your recovery to minimize haze and its effect on your vision. Most patients with haze don't experience any significant symptoms, and it's something that bothers us more as doctors because we see it using 10x magnification on our microscopes. Good luck.

Question 10

convergence insufficiency after prk?

Accepted Answer

Latent muscle proble: This sounds like something present but hidden prior to the surgery. I have never heard of refractory surgeries causing muscle imbalances.

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Doctor answers about:

Exercise after a prk

A member asked:

When can i exercise after having prk? my doctor told me i'd need about a week of downtime after prk. does that include exercise?

A member asked:

How would prepare for prk?

A member asked:

What happens during prk procedure?

A member asked:

How long will it take for me to see clearly after prk?

A member asked:

How long roughly does it take for prk to heal on an average person?

A member asked:

Is it normal for traffic lights to be smugged / scattered at distance 1 month after prk, if this issue didn't exist at week 2? will it resolve?

A member asked:

I have starbursts around lights after prk. at week two there were no problems but a day later i noticed them and no improvement. can this improve?

A member asked:

Is prk preferred over lasik?

A member asked:

Haze after prk and mitomycin c, should i be concerned?

A member asked:

Convergence insufficiency after prk?

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