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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 Dr. Mozayeni, where he will discuss all of this with you in-depth. 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. Mozayeni recommends PRK it will because it is the safest procedure that will give you an optimal result. Here at Providence Eye, our PRK patients have the same great outcomes as our LASIK patients.

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 1.5 hours. A lot will happen on that day, but the procedure itself only takes about 5 minutes per eye! You will be provided 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.
  • Dr. Mozayeni 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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4 Steps to Guide You Through the PRK Surgery Process

Reception area

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.
  • You should have reviewed and feel comfortable with the consent prior to arrival. We will have you sign an electronic copy.
  • Verify your treatment information.
  • Process your payment.

Please decide in advance how you will be paying for your procedure. Your options are:

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 PRK surgery charge. If you have questions about any of these, give our office a call to discuss your payment methods.

Step Two: Exam Room

Once you have checked in, one of our ophthalmic technicians will take you to an exam room.

  • You will be offered a small dose of a light sedative. Although it's optional, it's encouraged as it will help you to relax and remain still during the laser eye surgery.
  • Dr. Mozayeni, Dr. Mills and/or Dr. Raykovicz 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. One of our ophthalmic technicians will return to the room to see if you have any additional questions about your post-operative care. You will also have a written copy of these instructions, so don’t worry about being nervous and forgetting what we tell you. If the person driving you to your appointment will be staying with you after your treatment, it is a good idea for them to join you to listen to these instructions, too.
  • The technician will put drops in your eyes and clean the area around your lids and lashes with a cleansing solution to prepare you for your laser eye surgery.
  • Once you have been prepped for the laser suite, Dr. Mozayeni will talk to you for a few minutes and tell you exactly what to expect in the laser suite and answer any last-minute questions you may have.

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 several 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. Mozayeni 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!
  • Dr. Mozayeni 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, Dr. Mozayeni 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 Dr. Mozayeni 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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What to Expect After PRK Surgery

Recovery After PRK Surgery

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.
  • Avoid germy environments (aka public gyms) for 5 days and dirty, dusty environments for 14 days. This will not be the time to do yard work or clean the garage.

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 Consultation

To schedule an appointment, call 704-540-9595 or complete the short form below.

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We look forward to getting to know you and assisting with your seeing more and living better!

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