Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), also known as advanced surface ablation

, was the forerunner of LASIK eye surgery and introduced throughout the United States in the 80s. Most people don't understand the difference between LASIK and PRK, and if a person knows PRK, it often is with negative connotations because the process was used before LASIK, when the technology was not as reliable. But as the technology has advanced, both PRK and LASIK have become more reliable, and both have advantages and disadvantages. Understanding PRK can help you see its potential and whether it might be the right procedure for you.

PRK gave those with refractive vision errors a new outlook on life, one that relied much less on prescription glasses. Nowadays, eye doctors perform the PRK surgery with an excimer laser that precisely excises tiny bits of tissue from the cornea's surface with a cool ultraviolet light beam. An ophthalmologist may recommend PRK over LASIK for the following reasons:

Your cornea is too thin

Your cornea is too flat

Your pupils are too large

But there are many factors like pregnancy and uncontrolled diabetes that may affect your candidacy for LASIK and PRK equally, so be sure to share your complete medical history with your ophthalmologist before having either procedure.

Who Can Benefit from PRK

Most anyone with a refractive vision error can benefit from PRK laser surgery. Those with refractive errors include:

Nearsighted people an eye surgeon will flatten the overly steep cornea

Those who are farsighted ophthalmologists will increase the steepness of the cornea

Persons with astigmatism an eye doctor will smooth the irregular shaped cornea into a more normal shape

Expected Healing Time after PRK Surgery

Healing with the PRK vision correction surgery is longer than you'll find with the LASIK procedure. In most cases, it takes about six to eight weeks for the epithelial cells to grow back. At around the three to six month mark after surgery, vision results are the same. Most patients undergoing PRK vision surgery will receive 20/20 vision; others may only achieve 20/40. While this latter visual outcome may not be ideal, it is certainly high enough to drive without glasses in most states. Some PRK and LASIK patients may still need eyeglasses or contact lenses, but the prescription strength will not be as high.

Possible PRK Complications

As with any surgery PRK carries some risk of complications. Risks may include:

Infection

Night glare

Light sensitivity

Anesthesia reactions

Loss of clarity in vision that will not return with eyeglasses or contact lenses

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

By: Sara Goldstein

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