My PRK Laser Eye Surgery
After arriving at Zweibrucken Airport in Germany. My escort and I took a 30-minute taxi ride to my place of lodging in Landstuhl, Germany. After settling in, I crashed. Yeah, I was tired. The next morning, I got up early to make my pre-op appointment at the Ophthalmology Clinic. I signed in and was asked to wait with 8 other patients getting the same procedure done. After the preliminary stuff (paperwork, eye screening, briefing, etc.) was done by the clinic staff and the doctor, we were released for that day and told to report the following day for the actual surgery.
You are probably wondering what "PRK" means. It stands for PhotoRefractive Keratectomy. It's an alternative way to LASIK surgery to correct vision.
Both nearsighted and farsighted people can benefit from PRK. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea; with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. Also, excimer lasers can correct astigmatism, by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape. My actual surgery took approximately a few minutes for both eyes, and I was awake the whole time.
Most people don't feel pain during PRK. I didn't. My eyes were first anesthetized with special drops. My doctor had me lie down and then made sure my eye was positioned directly under the laser. One eye is operated on at a time. A kind of retainer (speculum) is placed over my eye to keep my eyelids open, which was not uncomfortable. It has a suction ring that kept my eye pressurized and immobile. The doctor used a computer to adjust the laser for my particular prescription. I was asked to look at a target light for a short time while he watched my eye through a microscope to make sure it remained in the correct position while the laser sent pulses of light to my cornea that painlessly remove the tissue. It was important to keep my gaze fixated on that target light in order to get the best results which I had no problems doing. The laser machine made a steady clicking sound (which sounded like tiny machine guns firing...lol) while the laser pulses are happening, and I could smell a faintly acid odor during the tissue removal which my doctor said was normal. Here is a YouTube Link on the actual PRK eye surgery procedure (from a doctor's point-of-view) if you care to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEYGoVcQvCw. Obviously that's not me in the video but it gives you a pretty good idea what I went through. The video is under 8 minutes long.
My doctor prescribed medication for any postoperative pain I might incur, but I hardly felt any pain except for some mild discomfort (light sensitivity and scratchiness) afterwards. I was released and my escort took me back to my room for me to relax and rest my eyes. I had a follow-up appointment the week after the surgery so my doctor can see how I was doing and to remove these special contact lenses I was wearing that acted as a "bandage" over my eyes. He ran several eye tests and concluded by saying that I have 20/20 vision. I was prescribed lubricating eye drops that I have to use frequently until my eyes heal up in addition to other drops to prevent infection, etc. I shook the doc's hand, thanked him, left with my escort, and checked out of my room. I took the flight back home that same day.
My vision is remarkably clear and sharp now. I can see things I use to squint at before. I threw my old eyeglasses away with a smile on my face. The doctor said it could take several months before my eyes fully heal and are fully adjusted to sunlight and bright indoor lighting. So in the meantime, I keep my shades on almost all the time which I prefer anyway. ;-)
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