Guidelines and instruction for patients after PRK can be categorized into 6 phases

Phase 1:  First night after surgery

            - Immediately after surgery, the plastic eye shield is worn. There are holes in the center of the eye-shield where patient can see through. The patient must not remove the eye shield. The purpose for wearing the eye shield is to prevent the patient from accidentally scratching or rubbing the eye. If the eye waters extensively, blot away the tears outside the eye shield only. If the eye shield does not fit well or becomes loose, the patient can secure it with extra bandage.
            - The patients should ensure themselves a good night’s rest for the first night by taking 1-2 tablets of Valium (2mg). If you are usually a difficult sleeper, and have your own preferred type of sleeping pills, you can use them instead of the Valium prescribed by TRSC.
            - Some patients may feel pain, which can be alleviated by taking 1-2 Paracetamol tablets (500mg) every 4-6 hours.
            - The patient should close their eyes and rest as much as possible. However, normal daily activities can still be carried out if needed. For PRK, it is recommended to refrain from work for about 1 week after surgery.

Phase 2:  The first week after surgery (and until the wound healing is complete and the bandage contact lens is removed by the doctor) 

           - Apply Tobrex or Zymar (which ever one the surgeon prescribed) 4 times daily. (Morning, noon, evening and bedtime) and FML once a day (before bedtime)
           - Apply Tears Naturale Free at least 4 times a day or as needed; wait 3-5 minutes after instillation of Tobrex or Zymar
           - To clean the eye in the morning, simply use 3-4 drops of the artificial tears to wet the eye, and then use a cotton bud to dab the excess from the corner of the eye. Do not use saline solution or anything else to wipe the eye and the eyelid.
           - Wear the eye shield at bedtime and while napping to prevent any unconscious eye rubbing, until the next scheduled eye examination (approximately 1 week).

Phase 3:  The second week after surgery

            - After the contact lenses are removed, the vision may still be blurry as the corneas are still not smooth yet. It may take 1-2 weeks until you can see clearly.
            - Water is permitted
            - Stop using Tobrex or Zymar
            - Apply FML 4 times daily (Morning, noon, evening and bedtime)
            - Apply Tears Naturale Free at least 4 times a day or as needed; wait 3-5 minutes after instillation of FML
            - Apply Duratears gel before bedtime

Phase 4:  3rd week to 1 month after surgery

            - Eye make up is permitted
             - Sport activities including swimming are permitted
            - Reduce FML from 4 times a day to 3 times a day (Morning, noon, evening)
            - Apply Tears Naturale Free at least 4 times a day or as needed; wait 3-5 minutes after instillation of FML
            - Apply Duratears gel before bedtime

Phase 5: Second month after surgery

            - No other restrictions aside from no rubbing of the eyes, which is not advised for anyone regardless of whether they had PRK or not.
            - Reduce FML from 3 times a day to 2 times a day (Morning, evening) for 2 weeks, then reduce to 1 time a day (before bedtime) until your next appointment.
            - Apply Tears Naturale Free at least 4 times a day or as needed
            - Apply Duratears gel before bedtime

Phase 6:  Beyond the second month after surgery

            - Stop FML
            - Stop Duratears
            - Tears Naturale Free can be used as needed
            - Patients who continue to experience light scattering (glare or halos) or whose visual clarity decreases in dimly lit areas can still expect this condition to gradually improve, until 3 months after the operation. (Those who suffer an extreme condition of light scattering can use special glare filter spectacles to alleviate this problem).
            - Some patients may still not achieve visual clarity at this stage, but this condition can still improve
            - Patients who continue to experience dry eyes can still expect this condition to improve (please use the artificial tears as needed)
            - Some patients may experience visual regression, but should not be overly concerned about this condition, and should by all means continue to use the eyes as they would otherwise. Visual regression cannot be cured with medication or any special conduct, for example, by not using the eyes. The patient simply has to abide by these guidelines and come to all scheduled eye examinations. A patient who is affected by visual regression will be scheduled for eye examinations more frequently, i.e. every month, for consideration of a possible enhancement procedure. Enhancement procedures can only take place after measurements have stabilized (which takes approximately 3-6 months).

Postoperative Eye examinations
The routine postoperative visits at TRSC are scheduled as followed:

Follow-up care

Examinations directly related to the surgery and performed within the first year of surgery are considered follow-up exams.
Routine yearly examinations are considered check-up exams and will consist of vision check, refraction, and eye health check including dilation.

Importance of follow-up care

Although most patients notice improvement in their vision almost immediately after surgery, the follow-up period is an important and necessary part of your care. In the early period, we must monitor for infection and other complications, and make sure the prescription treatment is accurate. Once your eye(s) have healed and the vision has stabilized, it is important to monitor your vision and health of your eyes to ensure that you continue to see well for the rest of your life.

TRSC follow-up guidelines

TRSC prides itself on meeting and exceeding international eye care standards, which includes providing the recommended follow-up examinations to ensure good vision and eye health. The majority of complications after surgery occur within the first week. It is mandatory that the 1-day and 1-week follow-ups be performed at TRSC so that our team of surgeons can properly monitor the healing process. After the first week, the schedule of follow-up examinations is:
1 month, 3 month and 1 year follow up exams.
If patients are not compliant with this schedule, TRSC cannot be held responsible for complications that may occur due to the lack of follow-up care.