PRK Day 1: What to Expect the Day After Surgery

Day 1 is usually the day the numbing has fully worn off and the eye lets you know it. 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, though many surgeons prescribe something stronger for the first nights. The sensation is typically burning, watering, and a gritty feeling like sand under the lid, not a deep throbbing ache.

Vision is blurry and foggy. The bandage contact lens is still in and is doing real work, protecting the raw surface while new cells start crawling in from the edges. Light will feel too bright. Most people spend this day in a dark room with sunglasses on, dozing, which is a legitimate strategy because sleeping is the easiest way to get through it.

You will usually have a follow up visit today or in the next couple of days. A 2023 report in Ophthalmology from the American Academy of Ophthalmology found that bandage contact lenses, topical and oral NSAIDs, cold patches, and systemic pain medicine all measurably improve pain control after PRK, so ask if you are not coping. Do not use numbing drops on your own.