Why prk

They tend to be far more conservative in their approach and far less comfortable with corneas that have any features that are outside of the normal range. Visual acuity will eventually be excellent, but it will take considerably more time, and the patient will experience more discomfort after the PRK procedure than after LASIK. The key to counseling patients who will undergo PRK is to help them adjust their expectations regarding the immediate postoperative period.

They need to be prepared to expect a week of visual rehabilitation, with some discomfort in their eye. Freeman: Refractive technology has evolved significantly over the past few years. What do you think will be the most important technologic advance with respect to PRK? PRK has been around for more than 20 years. The virtues of PRK are that it is a simple procedure, which even the less experienced refractive surgeon can feel quite comfortable doing.

However, one of the challenges with PRK in the past has been corneal haze. Corneal haze can be treated with another refractive procedure, but it is certainly something that is better avoided in the first place. The use of mitomycin-C has essentially brought that risk down to approximately 1 in That is a terrific advance in PRK, which has eliminated one of the major long-term disadvantages of the procedure.

It does not involve the creation of a flap, and some branches of the military, particularly the army, still require most of their people to have PRK. But PRK is not necessarily a safer procedure. LASIK, as a procedure, has also improved tremendously over the last 15 years. Now that we are using the femtosecond laser to create the flap in a very safe and predictable way, many of the issues with the flap have been eliminated.

In PRK surgery, the entire epithelium is removed and discarded so that your eye doctor can have total access to your cornea. It also enables the epithelium to regenerate from scratch. However, in LASIK surgery your eye doctor will cut a flap or hinge into the epithelium to access the corneal tissue underneath. After the reshaping is complete, the flap is closed again and left to heal naturally. Therefore, PRK tends to be a better option for patients with thinner corneas.

Both of these problems can cause complications like distorted vision or optical aberrations. Dry eye is a common side effect of laser eye surgery. This is attributed to the creation of the corneal flap which causes more disruption to the corneal nerves than LASIK. These nerves are responsible for sending signals to the brain to lubricate the eyes.

If the nerves are compromised, the signal will not get through and the eyes will not be lubricated. Our ophthalmologist, Dr. Minkovitz, has extensive experience in delivering high quality laser vision correction surgeries to patients in and around Wilmington, DE.

Most patients sleep right through any irritation and wake up feeling pretty comfortable. For most patients, irritations that feel similar to having an eyelash in the eye are the only sensations felt after sleep. Artificial tears are all that is needed to make those sensations go away, and they are typically resolved on their own within three or four days after LASIK.

With the PRK procedure, no flap is created. Instead, the surgeon gently removes the epithelial tissue layer of the cornea and then applies the excimer laser to the exposed cornea for the reshaping step. During the PRK procedure, the removal of the epithelial layer is rather quick, taking less than 30 seconds typically.

Surgeons vary in technique on removal, but regardless of the technique used, the patient may experience a small amount of pressure on the eye and dim vision when the surgeon gets in the way of their vision. The reshaping step is next and usually takes less than 30 seconds as well.

When the reshaping is complete, the patient receives the contact lens bandage and a few eye drops. After the procedure is completed, the patient can see fairly well, often dramatically better than before the procedure without glasses. That vision is short-lived, however, as vision tends to get worse before it improves following the PRK procedure.

Healing and visual recovery after PRK takes longer than LASIK because the epithelial tissue has to heal and become as regular and smooth as it was before removal. Full visual recovery typically takes about thirty days and has three general stages: initial healing, bandage contact lens removal, and full healing. The patient wears the contact lens bandage for approximately four to five days as the epithelial tissue undergoes the initial healing phase and seals the surface from where it was removed.

Here are some tips on how to find the best provider to perform either procedure, and some questions you should ask any potential provider:. Talk to your doctor or eye specialist about which option may be better for you based on the specifics of your eye health as well as your overall health.

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