This is one of the biggest worries people have about LASIK and PRK, and understandably so. Let me start by putting your mind at ease – laser eye surgery does not hurt. “But what about all those stories I read about in the news and social media about LASIK being one of the most excruciating experiences possible?”
Well, for starters, sensationalism sells. It’s nowhere near as dramatic to write about a LASIK procedure where you didn’t feel a thing. But is there any truth to the stories at all? Yes, there’s a grain of truth in these stories and it all depends on a few factors – namely, what procedure did you have and when did the discomfort or pain occur? We’ll dive into both of these issues in this post…
What laser eye surgery type induces discomfort?
As I wrote on the PRK page, some patients do report discomfort and even some pain after the PRK procedure. The reason people feel discomfort after PRK is that the procedure involves removing the outer surface (epithelium) of your cornea (the front surface of your eye).
We put a bandaged contact lens on the cornea after treatment. We also supply you with pain relief medication in the form of drops and tablets following the procedure. Still, you have a wound on your eye and it needs to heal.
The discomfort involved in PRK is one of the primary reasons behind LASIK’s popularity. With LASIK, the only area that needs to heal is the edge of the flap. This area is much smaller than the broad surface of the cornea, so people feel considerably less discomfort after the procedure.
So, yes, many people who report feeling noticeable discomfort or even pain after laser eye surgery had PRK.
The reason people feel discomfort after PRK is that the procedure involves removing the outer surface (epithelium) of your cornea (the front surface of your eye).
What’s a typical LASIK experience?
YouTuber Kendra Atkins (not our patient) made a good video where she tells her LASIK story. Watch it to learn about what the typical LASIK experience feels like.
What’s a typical PRK experience?
YouTuber Eric Burke (not our patient) made an honest video where he tells his PRK story. Watch it to learn about what the typical PRK experience feels like.
These are, in my opinion, reasonably typical stories. You’ll find a lot of similar videos like this on YouTube.
So, do you have any related questions to the one we answered just now? Let’s see your question in the comments below, and we promise to reply!