First, u go through a very thorough screening process 2 make sure u are a good candidate. Some vision problems can't be corrected with LASIK or PRK, and they will let u know it's not worth doing- or which surgery they recommend for u. PRK came out first & is 'safer' than LASIK, BUT it takes more like 2weeks to heal instead of 2days. Instead of making a corneal 'flap' like they do in LASIK, I believe they cut the whole thing off; not sure if they put in back or just skim some off & throw it away...
But, either way, they give you all sorts of vision tests like UR used 2 for ur regular Optometrist visits, & they also measure ur eyes 4 the 'custom' laser correction with a big weird machine, and poke ur cornea w/ a little tool (they give u numbing drops first) to see if it's a good thickness. I had an intermittent lazy eye & was told I may need 2 have my surgery 1-eye @ a time (in the event something went wrong, I wouldn't be blind) - but my vision in the lazy eye was good enough & I was able 2do them both at once (score!)- ur surgeon will make the final call on the day of surgery for a situation like that. You're given a prescription for antibiotic eye drops that you need 2fill & start using the day before ur surgery.
At this office- they have consultations throughout the month & schedule a Surgery Day for all the recent sign-ups for LASIK & PRK. So, I was sitting w/ both patients in the waiting room(s) on the day of surgery & got to see how the LASIK patients & PRK patients did. The surgeries lasted about the same amount of time, & the prep is the same 2. PRK patients get pain drops 2put in2 their eyes & a prescription for Vicodin- so I'm guessing they are in more pain than the LASIK patients.
Bring a book or an IPod or something to amuse urself & let your ride go home if you can, because there are SEVERAL hours of just waiting around. My surgery was scheduled for 2pm, & I didn't get in until more like 5:30pm. First you have to wait to finish up your paperwork, they to get your final pre-op exams, then to get your little hat and booties for the surgery, then you have to wait again to get your eye lids cleaned & cotton wads tucked into your little hair net, each step bringing you closer to the operating room... you sit there worried & waiting & kind of giddy- along with people from all different walks of life. You're bonded by the experience, & end up becoming sort of friends- chatting with strangers & asking each other how the last step was, etc. It's kinda nice to not be doing it alone, honestly.
The good thing is, you get to see everyone before you come out smiling & bewildered that they can already see better than they could with glasses- moments after surgery! When it's finally ur turn, u go lay on the operating table & a nurse puts numbing drops in your eyes. The minutes you wait for the drops to work & the doctor to come in (he's doing a post-op exam on the person in front of u) seem like hrs.
LASIK isn't as easy and painless as the ads make it. There is definitely a giant loud machine, clips forcing ur eye lids open & lots of poking & flushing of the eyes (reminded me of that scene in Clockwork Orange) done by a doctor that is talking to the nurses about what they recently watched on TV!
You are told to look @ a blinking orange light the whole time... which is funny because you actually go blind for a moment during surgery- everything goes black- and your eyes are so numb you honestly can't tell if your eyes are even open, nevermind where you're looking! The doctor barks orders about not moving your head, not blinking, & looking at the light- this is kinda terrifying because ur twitching & nervous & have no idea what your numb eye is doing, but you're hoping it does what it's supposed to! The tool they use to make the 'flap' is the worst part & it's at the beginning. It's a hard suction cup of some kind that goes over ur eyes, & it's uncomfortable- there's a lot of heavy pressing & the nurses hold ur head still as the doctor turns this little tool to slice a flap into ur eye. It's gross, but once that's over- it just a few seconds per eye of letting the loud machine laser away while u focus on a dot & they pour liquid in your eyes. Then more poking when they put the flap back.
They say go home & sleep for 3-5hrs. DO IT. It's cause that's the most painful period when the drops wear off & UR still wicked injured. I didn't & I regretted it. Rolling my eyes back in my head helped, I dunno why, pressure?
Day after surgery I could see 20/20! Amazing! Now just 3 types of eye drops 4 a few weeks!
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