If You Want Lasik, You Should Read This

Committing to corrective eye surgery is a big deal and settling on which type of corrective surgery is debatable and even a bigger deal. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis are the two most common ways to achieve perfect (or close to perfect) vision and deciding which procedure is best for you can be difficult. Both surgeries provide stunning results. Both surgeries also lend themselves, separately, to some candidates better than others. There’s a lot of information on both procedures, so here is a short breakdown to give you an understanding of each.

The biggest difference between Lasik and PRK is the procedure itself. In Lasik, the surgeon cuts beneath a thin flap in the cornea to remove tissue. In PRK, the procedure is performed without cutting into the cornea. The needed adjustment is made directly on the corneal surface. The outcomes of the procedures are extremely similar, if not identical. Still, some patients choose one over the other.

PRK laser eye surgery is an excellent option for patients with thin corneas, irregular astigmatisms or who have undergone eye surgery in the past. The non-invasive procedure protects the cornea just slightly more, although Lasik is extremely safe as well.

PRK eye surgery delivers the same eye corrective results without cutting into the eye, which is why some people feel safer with this procedure. If a thin cornea or other outstanding eye conditions are not present, Lasik wins favor with its faster healing times.

PRK surgery recovery takes between three days and two weeks, depending on the corrections made. Since the PRK procedure is performed on top of the cornea, the entire corneal surface must heal and consequently, remain covered for about four days. In the Lasik procedure, a tiny incision is made and the procedure is performed under the flap of the cornea. The cornea, then, is mostly untouched and only the incision marks need to heal which is why the healing time is so quick- usually about a day.

There seems always to be hype around Lasik vs. PRK, and it is important to note the differences to make sure you choose the procedure best fit for your eyes and life. If you need to take precautions around the cornea, PRK is a smart option and if you need quick healing times, Lasik is a well-performed, top-of-the-line procedure with quick recovery.

If you were asking yourself before, what is PRK eye surgery? I hope you now feel confident in the understanding of the procedure and in how it’s different from the popular Lasik eye surgery procedure. You can contact one of our top specialists in the Atlanta Eye Surgery Center.