PostOp Eyes

PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) Recovery: What to Expect

Illustration for PRK recovery

General information about typical recovery, not medical advice. Every eye and every surgery is different, and your surgeon's instructions override anything on this page. Read our full disclaimer.

PRK is laser vision correction that works on the front surface of the eye. Your cornea is the clear dome at the front of the eye, and its outermost layer is a thin skin called the epithelium. In PRK the surgeon removes that skin layer with a brush, a blade, a laser, or an alcohol solution, then uses an excimer laser to reshape the tissue underneath so light focuses more sharply. Unlike LASIK, no flap is cut, so nothing has to heal back into place. Instead, the skin layer has to grow back on its own.

That regrowth is the whole story of PRK recovery, and it is why PRK is slower and more uncomfortable than LASIK. StatPearls describes re-epithelialization happening over roughly 3 to 5 days, and a randomized trial in BMC Ophthalmology measured average epithelial healing at about 3.6 to 3.7 days. The new cells grow inward from the edges of the treated circle toward the center, and EyeWiki notes they meet in the middle and form a temporary ridge around days 4 to 5. Until that ridge smooths out, vision is blurry and can change from hour to hour.

At the end of surgery your surgeon places a soft bandage contact lens on the eye. It is not there to correct vision. It covers the raw surface, cuts down pain, and helps the new cells slide across. StatPearls says the lens usually stays in for about 3 to 5 days until healing is complete, and a randomized trial in the Journal of Current Ophthalmology compared removal on day 4 versus day 7 and found fewer complications with the later removal. Your surgeon decides the timing based on how your eye looks at each visit.

Expect the first week to be the hard part and the next few months to be the slow part. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says vision is blurry right after PRK, gradually improves over about 3 to 5 days, and may take a month or longer to reach your best result. Many people are still noticing day to day changes well past that. Everything here describes what published sources say is typical. Your surgeon's instructions override everything on this page.

The typical timeline

Typical full recovery: Vision usually stabilizes over 1-3 months, sometimes up to 6. Ranges below are what published guidance describes for most people; your surgeon may set different limits for your eye.

StageWhat to expectRestrictions
Surgery dayDay 0The procedure itself takes only a few minutes per eye and uses numbing drops, so you should not feel the laser. Vision is blurry and foggy immediately afterward. A soft bandage contact lens goes on before you leave. As the numbing drops wear off over the next few hours, most people feel burning, watering, and a strong sense of something in the eye. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says some eye pain is common for the first 2 to 3 days and that over the counter medicine usually controls it. Many surgeons also send you home with prescription drops and stronger pain medicine.You cannot drive yourself home, so arrange a ride. Plan to go home, keep the lights low, and sleep or rest. Do not rub or press on the eye, and leave the bandage contact lens alone. Start your prescribed drops exactly as directed.
The painful stretchDay 1-3This is when PRK earns its reputation. EyeWiki describes discomfort peaking around days 2 to 3, with tearing, light sensitivity, and blurred vision, and notes that driving is typically not possible during this window. The feeling is usually described as a foreign body in the eye rather than a deep ache. A 2023 systematic review published in Ophthalmology by the American Academy of Ophthalmology found that bandage soft contact lenses, topical and systemic NSAIDs, cold patches, and systemic pain medicine all help make this stretch more tolerable. Vision often looks worse now than it did on surgery day, which is normal while the surface is still open.No driving. Most people cannot work or read comfortably. Keep the bandage lens in unless your surgeon removes it. Do not rub the eye. Use your antibiotic, steroid, and lubricating drops on schedule, and only use NSAID drops for as long as your surgeon says, since StatPearls warns that using them past about 72 hours can slow the surface from healing.
The surface closesDay 3-5The epithelium finishes growing back for most people in this window. StatPearls puts re-epithelialization at 3 to 5 days with complete healing typically by day 3 to 7, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology's surface ablation guidance says patients are followed closely until the epithelium is intact, usually within about 72 hours. A randomized trial published in BMC Ophthalmology measured average epithelial healing at roughly 3.6 to 3.7 days across three different PRK techniques, so the number holds up whichever way the surface was removed. Pain usually drops off sharply once the surface closes, and EyeWiki notes significant improvement by days 4 to 5. The bandage contact lens comes out at a follow up visit. EyeWiki says vision at that point is commonly somewhere between 20/30 and 20/50, which feels underwhelming but is on track.Do not remove the bandage lens yourself. Keep using drops as prescribed. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says to avoid strenuous activity for up to a week after surgery because it can slow healing. Wear sunglasses outdoors. Resume driving only after your surgeon confirms your vision meets the legal standard.
Early recoveryWeek 1-2With the bandage lens out and the surface closed, comfort improves a lot, but vision does not snap into focus. The new cell layer is still uneven where it met in the middle, and EyeWiki describes vision improving gradually over roughly weeks 4 to 6 as that ridge smooths. Expect fluctuation through the day, better vision in bright light than dim, and dryness. StatPearls lists dry eye as one of the most common complaints after laser vision correction. Some people go back to desk work in this window and some need longer.Follow your surgeon on driving and work. Keep steroid drops going on the exact taper you were given, because StatPearls and the American Academy of Ophthalmology both tie those drops to preventing corneal haze. Wear UV blocking sunglasses outdoors. Avoid swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, and anything that can splash dirty water in the eye until your surgeon clears it. Keep eye makeup out until you are cleared.
Vision keeps sharpeningWeek 3 to month 3Most of the visual gain happens here. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says it may take a month or longer to reach your best vision. StatPearls notes halos around lights, most noticeable at night, are common during roughly the first 4 to 6 weeks and usually fade without treatment. This is also the window where corneal haze, a mild cloudiness in the healing tissue, would show up. StatPearls says haze typically peaks in intensity at 1 to 2 months and clears over 6 to 12 months, and that intraoperative mitomycin C plus steroid drops greatly reduce the chance of it becoming visually significant. A meta-analysis of 17 studies covering 3,536 eyes published in Acta Ophthalmologica found strong evidence that mitomycin C lowers the corneal haze rate compared with no mitomycin C, for both early and late onset haze, without a difference in corneal endothelial cell density. A 2023 review in Ophthalmology and Therapy describes steroid treatment for haze being chosen based on whether the haze is early or late onset, which is one more reason not to adjust your own drops.Finish the full steroid taper even if you feel fine. The surface ablation guidance from the American Academy of Ophthalmology describes steroids tapered over about 3 to 4 months depending on haze and refractive outcome. Keep wearing UV protection outdoors. Get back to sports and workouts only as your surgeon clears them, and use eye protection for anything that could hit the eye.
StabilizationMonth 3-12Vision settles. EyeWiki says the refraction is usually considered stable by 3 to 6 months, and StatPearls describes full refractive stability typically at 6 to 12 months. If your result is off target, both sources say surgeons generally wait for a stable refraction, at least 3 to 6 months, before considering an enhancement, and longer if there is haze. Mild dryness and some night glare can persist and usually keep improving. StatPearls advises UV protective sunglasses for about 6 months after laser refractive surgery, especially at altitude, to help prevent the correction from drifting back.Keep follow up appointments even when vision feels good, since haze and regression are things your surgeon looks for rather than things you feel. Continue UV protection outdoors. Do not start or stop drops on your own.

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Common questions

Why is PRK recovery so much slower than LASIK?
Because PRK removes the cornea's outer skin layer, the epithelium, and that layer has to grow back on its own. StatPearls describes re-epithelialization over about 3 to 5 days, and a randomized trial in BMC Ophthalmology measured average healing at roughly 3.6 to 3.7 days. LASIK lifts a flap and lays it back down instead, so the surface is intact at the end of surgery. The American Academy of Ophthalmology's surface ablation guidance states that visual recovery is faster after LASIK than PRK, while final uncorrected vision is comparable at longer follow up.
When does PRK pain peak, and how long does it last?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says some eye pain is common for 2 to 3 days after PRK and that over the counter medicine usually controls it. EyeWiki describes discomfort peaking around days 2 to 3 with significant improvement by days 4 to 5, which lines up with the epithelium closing. A 2023 systematic review in Ophthalmology from the American Academy of Ophthalmology found bandage soft contact lenses, topical and systemic NSAIDs, cold patches, and systemic pain medicine all improve pain control. Call your ophthalmologist if pain is not helped by over the counter medicines.
How long does the bandage contact lens stay in after PRK?
StatPearls says the soft bandage contact lens typically stays in about 3 to 5 days, until epithelial healing is complete. Some surgeons leave it longer. A randomized trial of 260 eyes published in the Journal of Current Ophthalmology compared removal on day 4 versus day 7 and found the day 7 group had better vision at one month and a lower overall complication rate, 6.1 percent versus 14.6 percent. Do not remove it yourself, and call your surgeon if it falls out.
When will my vision be stable after PRK?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says it may take a month or longer to reach your best vision. EyeWiki says the refraction is usually considered stable by 3 to 6 months, and StatPearls describes full refractive stability typically at 6 to 12 months. That is why surgeons wait for a stable refraction, at least 3 to 6 months, before considering an enhancement, and longer if corneal haze is present.
Why do I have to wear sunglasses for months after PRK?
To reduce the risk of corneal haze, a cloudiness in the healing tissue. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says sun exposure can lead to corneal scarring after PRK and that you should wear sunglasses outside for as long as your doctor tells you. StatPearls advises UV protective sunglasses for about 6 months, especially at high altitude, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology's surface ablation guidance advises UV protecting eyewear during the year after treatment and lists UV protection alongside mitomycin C and steroid drops as haze prevention measures. StatPearls describes haze typically peaking at 1 to 2 months and clearing over 6 to 12 months.

Sources