Laser Eye Surgery

I'm getting laser eye surgery on Tuesday. I'm very excited but nervous at the same time. I might as well put up some facts I learned about laser eye surgery by going to the consultation and reading my handbook I received. I'm getting the PRK laser eye surgery done because I was not a candidate for LASIK laser eye surgery.

LASIK

• Procedure: a thin part of your cornea is cut (creating a flap), a laser shoots in to correct your eyes, the flap is placed back
• Pros: heels in a week, can work in 48hrs, can drive in 48hrs, good for smaller prescriptions
• Cons: flap may open, higher cases of re-treatment, higher cases of dryer eyes

PRK

• Procedure: epithelium is removed (without cutting), a laser shoots in to correct your eyes, wear contacts for one week to protect epithelium when it is growing back
• Pros: no cutting/no flap created, good for higher prescriptions, lower chances of re-treatment, great for people with thin corneas (most asians)
• Cons: heels in 2 weeks, can drive in 4-14 days, may hurt when epithelium is growing back, can do physical activity in 2 weeks (arghh.. it means I can't go to the gym)

Restrictions:

• No eye make up 3 days before surgery and on surgery day (crap, I wore make up on Saturday and Sunday.. I hope that doesn't affect it)
• No eye make up 7 days after eye surgery
• No wearing contacts for 2 weeks before eye surgery (because it will reshape your eye)
• There are way more restrictions for LASIK compared to PRK
• PRK restrictions: Do not go into a hot tub, swim, or be in a dusty/dirty surrounding for a week and wear sunglasses in sunlight for 6 months

I got most of the information from the Coal Harbour Eye Center handbook. I'm going to get my surgery done there since I know a few people who had it done there. I can't wait to have 2 weeks off to do nothing. I'll be so bored. I'll probably beg my friends to pick me up and go somewhere because I can't even drive anywhere. Also, I'm excited to wear sunglasses at night like some kind of celebrity or some kind a thief...hmm..