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May
Before LASIK, many patients visited their eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) mainly for updating their eyewear prescription. Do they still need regular…
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What is PRK and how is it different from LASIK?
PRK laser eye surgery (Photorefractive Keratectomy) is a type of laser vision surgery used for the correction of nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. It is an alternative to LASIK, most often recommended if a patient’s corneas are too thin to make LASIK a safe option for them. PRK was actually the first type of laser vision surgery and is the predecessor from which LASIK was created.
PRK vs. LASIK: How is PRK different from LASIK?
What makes PRK different from LASIK is in how the cornea is prepared. During PRK eye surgery, a thin layer of corneal tissue (epithelium) on the surface of the eye is gently removed. This exposes the cornea to be reshaped by the laser. The laser application to reshape the cornea is just the same as with LASIK and once completed, a contact lens is placed over the eye. This contact lens acts as a bandage, protecting the eye for the few days during epithelial regeneration.
Is PRK painful?
As with LASIK, you should not feel any pain during your PRK procedure. The healing time after the procedure typically take a few days more than LASIK as the epithelial cells have to regenerate. During this time you may experience some more vision fluctations and mild discomfort/eye fatigue than one would after having LASIK, but this can be remedied by ther use of over-the-counter pain medication and wetting drops. The immediate results of PRK are just as significant as those after LASIK though. Just watch this patient right after her procedure with Dr. Gerald Horn.
When is PRK a better choice than LASIK?
PRK is most commonly recommended to patients who aren’t safe candidates for LASIK due to their lack of corneal thickness. The corneal thickness is determined during the FREE LASIK examination and at this time the doctor will recommend the best procedure to correct your vision.
PRK does have added benefits for some patients, regardless of their corneal thickness though. PRK may also be presented as an option for patients who suffer from chronic dry eye, or those who work in certain professions like firefighting/police or participate in certain activities like boxing/MMA where a risk of eye injury is higher and therefore the risk of flap damage following LASIK is possible.
PRK Treats
Farsightedness
Does LASIK correct farsightedness (hyperopia)?
LASIK is the most commonly performed laser eye surgery to treat hyperopia (farsightedness), as well as myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism.
Hyperopia is the medical term for “farsightedness”. Being farsighted means you can see far away objects well without the use of glasses or contact lenses, but your near vision is blurry. This is caused by the shape of the cornea being too flat, causing light to focus on a hypothetical point behind the retina.
The LASIK correction of farsightedness is accomplished by steepening the central cornea, thus allowing light to focus correctly on the retina. During the procedure, pulses of cool, ultra-violet light are emitted from a computer-guided Excimer laser to remove corneal cells according to your unique prescription.
PRK Treats
Astigmatism
Does LASIK correct astigmatism?
LASIK is one of the most common laser correction surgeries to correct astigmatism.
If you have astigmatism, without corrective lenses you experience overall blurry vision, shadowing, or distortion of your vision. Astigmatism is a refractive error caused by the cornea having an oval, or football shape resulting in light focusing on multiple points around the retina rather than a single point on the retina.
The LASIK correction of astigmatism is accomplished by smoothing out the irregularities of the cornea at the precise points of astigmatism, thus allowing light to focus correctly on the retina. During the procedure, pulses of cool, ultra-violet light are emitted from a computer-guided Excimer laser to remove corneal cells according to your unique prescription.
PRK Treats
Nearsightedness
Does LASIK correct nearsightedness (myopia)?
LASIK is the most commonly performed laser eye surgery to treat myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.
Myopia is the medical term for “nearsightedness”. Being nearsighted means you can see near objects well without the use of glasses or contact lenses, but your distance vision is blurry. Myopia affects about one out of every 3 or 4 people.
In order to correct nearsightedness with LASIK, the steep parts of the cornea, which cause the refractive error are flattened using cool pulses of ultraviolet light emitted by the laser, thus allowing light to focus directly on the retina in the back of the eye.
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What is the PRK Process?
Frequently Asked Questions About PRK
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What is the recovery time after PRK?
What is the recovery time after PRK?
One difference between LASIK and PRK is the recovery time. Patients having PRK should expect a slightly longer healing time, during which that may experience vision blurriness during the initial days of healing, and may experience brief periods of discomfort or irritation as the epithelial cells regrow. Prescribed anti-inflammatory and lubricating drops will minimize post-procedural discomfort and speed-up the healing process. As with LASIK eye surgery, the end results are improved vision.
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Is PRK Laser Eye Surgery Painful?
Is PRK Laser Eye Surgery Painful?
As with LASIK, due to the use of anaesthetic numbing drops used, you won’t feel anything, other than light pressure, during the procedure itself. Patients report feeling some mild discomfort and irritation following their PRK procedure, but state it is tolerable. This irritation can be alleviated by the use of lubricating drops and over-the-counter pain relievers are prescribed by your surgeon. The discomfort is most noticeable in the few days immediately following the procedure and abate over time.
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Do I have to be awake during LASIK or PRK?
Do I have to be awake during LASIK or PRK?
We understand that the concept of having someone do something to your eyes can be unsettling, but rest assured, you don’t experience pain. Since the eyes are easily numbed with anaesthetic numbing drops, you won’t feel pain. Being asleep during LASIK eye surgery would actually be detrimental as in order for the cool-pulses of laser light to reshape the cornea in the right places of your eye, you will be asked to focus on a blinking light during the very short procedure (less than a 60 seconds per eye).
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The lasik process was so easy- only regret I have is not doing it sooner!!! So cool to wake up and be able to see without any glasses or contacts. Thank you Dr. Edelstein and team.
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