After PRK laser eye surgery, vision improves gradually over the first days and weeks. A practical question on nearly every patient’s mind is when they can get back behind the wheel. The calculator below, the first of its kind, estimates the expected number of days until your vision reaches a level that allows driving, based on research I conducted on tens of thousands of PRK procedures drawn from a database of more than 180,000 laser procedures. Enter your details to receive a personal estimate.
PRK recovery forecast
Estimated time to legal driving vision (binocular uncorrected acuity ≥ 0.5) and to 90% of best-corrected potential (efficacy index ≥ 0.90).
What Does the Law Say About Driving After Laser Surgery?
Under the requirements of the Israeli Licensing Authority, driving requires a minimum level of visual acuity. In the first days after PRK surgery, vision is blurry and does not allow safe driving. In most cases, patients return to a level of vision that permits driving within days to weeks, but the range varies considerably between patients. It is important to understand that even when the calculator displays a particular estimate, the decision to return to driving should be made only after an actual vision test and your surgeon’s approval. Driving before your vision allows it endangers both you and those around you.
Which Factors Affect How Quickly You Can Return to Driving?
The research behind this calculator identified several factors that influence the pace of recovery, including the patient’s age, the magnitude of the prescription corrected, and characteristics of the treatment itself. Younger patients and those with lower prescriptions tend to recover faster, while correction of high myopia may prolong recovery. Keep in mind that in PRK, the corneal epithelium is removed and regenerates, so initial recovery is slower than after LASIK, although the final outcome is similar.
How Can You Speed Up Recovery After PRK?
Carefully following your postoperative care instructions is the most important factor within your control. Use your eye drops as directed, avoid rubbing your eyes, protect your eyes from the sun with sunglasses, and attend all follow-up visits. Adequate sleep and plenty of fluids also help the ocular surface heal. If you experience unusual pain, a sudden decline in vision, or discharge from the eye, contact your surgeon immediately.
More Questions About Recovery After Laser Vision Correction
Many patients also want to know when their vision will return almost fully. For that purpose, I developed an additional calculator that estimates when 90 percent of final visual acuity is expected to return. Click here for the vision recovery calculator after PRK. For comprehensive information on the different types of laser vision correction procedures, visit the laser vision correction page.