Concerns & Expectations
There are a number of expectations and concerns to think about when considering refractive eye surgery — both before and after the procedure. Actual patients offer their perspectives on these considerations.
Concerns and Expectations
I had a fellow co-worker who had PRK done a week prior to me. And he said it was fine. But I was very nervous about having PRK surgery done.
Initially my wife, you know, she was skeptical. She was scared. But she knew that I had made a good decision because I worked in the ophthalmology department. So she knew I had done my homework — checked into everything and felt real comfortable with the doctors that I had been working with.
I guess I really thought about it for about two years before I really decided to do it.
I am probably the biggest baby in the world when it comes to my eyes. When I first began wearing contact lenses, I had to have the assistance of several of my buddies to actually help me get the contact in my eye. So I actually had to overcome quite a bit of fear to have the procedure done.
I was really nervous, really apprehensive about getting this done.
It might not correct my vision the way I want it to be. The vision — my night vision might get worse or better. I know they said the halos, the irritation … I’m scared of, you know, they said they were going to put a contact lens in there and had to be very careful not rubbing my eyes. I’m an eye rubber because my eyes are very sensitive … so things like that. I don’t want to mess up my chance of my eyes healing to where they need to be.
PRK does not correct having the need to have reading glasses in your 40s and beyond. It just corrects your distance vision.
But based on my previous experience with glasses and contacts, reading glasses are the least of my concerns. And I had no problem accepting those terms that someday that that’s going to be a necessity for me.
Directly after the surgery for — I believe they said it was a three-day time period — I will not be allowed to be watching TV, being on the computer. Sounded to me like basically things that are going to cause strain on my eyes. Something that where, you know, I would have to be focusing. But, you know, it’s a two- or three-day time period for a lifetime of good vision and I’ll take that trade any day.