Post-operative Pain Control After Photorefractive Keratectomy Comparing Acetaminophen/Codeine vs Acetaminophen/Oxycodone

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a refractive error correction procedure that helps eliminate or reduce the dependence on corrective lenses. An important aspect of PRK is post-operative pain management. Post-operative pain can be significant in the first three to five days and is typically controlled utilizing various modalities including narcotic pain medication. Simple observation suggests a difference in the post-operative pain levels of patients utilizing the more potent oxycodone- versus the less potent codeine-containing acetaminophen preparations. There have been no studies performed to explore any differences in perceived pain comparing these two medications when used following PRK. This study is designed to answer this question by means of a pain survey conducted in the first five days post-op. This may help better manage similar patients in the future.