When can I read books after my PRK Surgery?
“I am planning to do refractive eye surgery , but I am a student and have exams in next month, when will I be visually ready to study and read books after PRK?”
Dr. Holzman is fine with you using your eyes after your refractive surgery procedure. You need to understand a few things. First, you are asked to go home on your surgery day and sleep through the initial first 3 hours post operatively. The first few hours post-op are uncomfortable so we have our patients sleep through this discomfort phase where your eyes will be tearing and you will feel a burning sensation when our numbing drops wear off. After your wake up from your nap, you are free to hit the books and study.
You need to remember a few key things. Understand that your vision is going to fluctuate. This is normal as you heal initially. Use your artificial tears frequently. Keep a bottle chilled in the refrigerator as they feel good cold. BLINK! Do not stare or gaze at your books or computer without reminding yourself to blink frequently. If your eyes start to feel tired, give yourself a break for 5 to 10 minutes and then go back to studying. Your eyes can get tired without having a refractive surgery procedure with much reading and computer use.
You can use your eyes. You can’t blame Dr. Holzman if you get a bad grade though. No doctor’s note for that…So study!!
