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YOUR EXPERIENCE

PRK Experience

Preparing for PRK Surgery

You’ll want to prepare for PRK the same way as LASIK. The most important step is the consultation with your surgeon Dr. Nunnery. During that consultation, we’ll use our Pentacam to do a corneal mapping, along with several other tests to determine which type of laser vision correction surgery is best for you. If Dr. Nunnery recommends PRK it will be because it is the safest procedure for you that will provide an optimal result. Here at Providence Eye, our PRK patients have the same great outcomes as our LASIK patients.

Take Our Vision Correction Self Evaluation Quiz

What to Expect the Day of Your PRK Surgery

On the day of your PRK surgery, you can expect to be at our office for about one(1) hour. A lot will happen on that day, but the procedure itself only takes about 5 minutes per eye! You will be provided with detailed written pre-op and post-op instructions. These include but are not limited to:

  • Picking up your prescription eye drops and over-the-counter lubricating drops at your preferred pharmacy. These are typically covered by insurance, but prices may vary.
  • Arrange for a driver to take you home after your PRK procedure.
  • You will be with the same great team you met during your consultation.
  • Your surgeon Dr. Nunnery and our ophthalmic technicians will be with you every step of the way.
  • You will want to sleep for about 4 hours when you get home.
  • Plan to make the next five days about resting your eyes.

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Reception area

5 Steps to Guide You Through PRK Surgery Process

A few days prior to your PRK surgery day you will be asked to electronically sign your consents and make your payment online. This makes the day of your procedure very smooth.

You may pay for you procedure with:

  • Bank Check
  • Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
  • Flex Spending Accounts (FSA)
  • Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
  • 0% interest financing with CareCredit with approved credit.

If you are paying for your PRK using a credit card, we recommend that you call your credit card company in advance to make them aware of the LASIK surgery charge.

If you have questions about payment option check out our blog articles about paying for PRK, or give our office a call to discuss your payment methods.

Step One: Check-In

Please bring all of your medications and eye drops that you got from your pharmacy.

Upon arrival at our office, you will do the following:

  • Check-in with our front desk team.
  • Verify your treatment information.

Step Two: Exam Room

One of our certified ophthalmic technicians will take you to an exam room.

  • You will be offered a small dose of a sedative. Although it's optional, it's encouraged as it will help you to relax and remain still during the laser eye surgery.
  • One of our doctors will measure your vision again on the day of your treatment. We want to confirm the measurements previously determined and verify consistency.
  • You will then watch a brief video that will review the post-operative instructions. You will also have a written copy of these instructions, Please feel free to ask us if you have any questions or need clarification of the post-operative instructions.
  • Eye drops will be instilled in your eyes and the area around your lids and lashes will be gently cleaned.
  • Once you have been prepped for the laser suite, your surgeon Dr. Nunnery will explain to you exactly what to expect in the laser suite and answer any last-minute questions.

Exam room 2 RT
Cost of lasik

Step Three: Our Proven, Leading-Edge Laser Suite

One of our ophthalmic technicians will then escort you to our laser suite and turn you over to the care of the surgical technician to prep you for your PRK surgery. We will never leave your side.

  • The technician will assist you to the laser bed, position you under the laser, and make sure you are comfortable.
  • They will start by taping some gauze pads at the side of your face so the drops we use don’t run into your ears.
  • Next, they will instill numbing drops in your eyes. From this point on, the only thing you might feel during your procedure is a little pressure. We then tape a shield over one eye while we work on the other – this makes it much easier for you to concentrate on the fixation light that helps keep your eye aligned.
  • For your PRK surgery, you will be positioned under the WaveLight EX500 laser. You will hear how the laser sounds as the technician performs a calibration before Dr. your surgeon begins. We start by keeping the eyelids open for you with a device you will not feel at all. Remember your eyes are numb so you will not feel anything during this part. Many people don’t realize when your eyes are numb you don’t feel the need to blink!
  • Your surgeon Dr. Nunnery will make sure you can see the fixation light and ensure you are perfectly aligned under the laser. After a few steps to prepare your cornea for the treatment, he will move the eye tracker into position, which is always on! You will hear the sound of the laser, which is similar to a soft buzzing noise. Most treatments only last between 10 and 30 seconds.

Step Four: PRK Surgery Complete

After a few seconds of rinsing with saline, your surgeon will put bandage contact lenses on your eyes. This is to cover your exposed cornea and keep you comfortable. These are not prescription contacts. If you are scheduled to have PRK eye surgery on the other eye, that will happen next. You can expect the entire process for both eyes to take about 10 minutes, after which he will use an eye microscope and check to make sure everything looks perfect before you head home. One of our team members will escort you out of the laser suite and into a room where your eyes will be covered with clear plastic shields to protect them. You are then ready to go home for a nice, long nap.

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Step 5: Rest and Recover

The recovery after PRK surgery is slightly longer than that of LASIK surgery, but it will be worth it! If recommended for you, it is a safer, more predictable option. Some things to keep in mind are:

  • Plan on having a relaxing, long weekend at home after PRK surgery. Your eyes may feel scratchy and could have some light sensitivity.
  • You will see some immediate improvement in your vision, however, vision fluctuation is normal and expected.
  • You will be able to bathe and shower normally one day after your PRK surgery. However, you will not be cleared to drive until the 5th day.
  • Use your prescribed eye drops faithfully as directed.

During the 4 to 5 days after PRK surgery, the cover, or skin layer, of the cornea regenerates on its own with the help of a clear non-prescription contact lens (bandage lens), eye drops and Vitamin C. Don’t worry, we will be sure to provide you detailed instructions via video, in writing and verbally. Plus, at Providence Eye, we are always here to answer your questions. Additionally, we have a doctor on call 24/7 for emergencies.

The Providence Eye team will carefully go through your recovery process with you during your complimentary consultation, as well as during your post-op appointments.

Schedule a Complimentary Consultation to Determine Your Best Laser Vision Correction Option

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