Is it painful?

There is very little, if any, pain during surgery. It is during the recovery that there is potential for discomfort or pain. With LASIK, if there is any discomfort, it may last about six hours. PRK takes longer for initial healing to occur, so any discomfort experienced (ranging from feeling like there is something like an eyelash in the eye to a stinging / burning sensation) can last a few days.