Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a laser-based eye surgery to correct your vision that does not require creating a flap in your cornea like LASIK does. Instead, the surface of the cornea itself is treated with an excimer laser that uses a cool ultraviolet light to reshape your eye and improve your vision.
How Does PRK Differ From Other LASIK Surgeries?
LASIK surgery, whether done with the bladeless IntraLase Method or any other, requires two steps to be performed. The first step involves making a flap in your cornea and lifting it so that the laser can work beneath it in the second step.
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
Eye after PRK Treatment
PRK, however, does not require any flap and is often called flapless eye surgery. An ophthalmologist with the Reingold Eye Center in Los Angeles can perform any of these methods to correct your vision.
How Does PRK Help My Vision Problem?
Light coming into the eye is focused on the retina on the back of your eye in much the same way light is sent to the film on the back of a camera after going through the lens. Some eyes aren't perfectly formed or they can distort as we age, and the image sent to the retina and onto the brain becomes blurry or unfocused. PRK can reshape your eye and improve your vision, even correcting astigmatism.
VIDEO DESCRIPTION: PRK Eye surgery can reshape your eye's cornea to produce corrected vision for those who don't choose or can't benefit from LASIK eye surgery.
Who Can Benefit from PRK?
Nearly everyone can benefit from PRK since it can eliminate both nearsightedness and farsightedness. Also, those who wish to have LASIK surgery but cannot because their cornea is too thin for the procedure, or whose pupils are larger than normal, can still have permanent vision correction.
What Should I Expect After Having PRK Eye Surgery?
After a brief period to rest and make sure you're fine, you can go home. While not immediate, your vision will improve gradually, usually over a matter of days and most will see their vision achieve 20/20. A series of follow-up visits will be scheduled with your eye doctor to monitor your progress, and antibiotic eye drops and a temporary contact lens is normally worn as a bandage until your eye heals.
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