If you’re considering eye surgery for better vision without the need for glasses or contacts, you might have already started researching your options and come across LASIK and PRK. Although you’ve probably heard of LASIK, not many know what PRK is and the major differences between the two. Here’s a breakdown of the two and how each of the procedure differ from another so that you can make an informed decision as to which one is best for your vision needs:
What is PRK?
PRK is short for Photo Refractive Keratectomy, which is a type of laser eye surgery that is supposed to help with vision problems, such as astigmatism, farsightedness and nearsightedness. It was created before the now popular Laser-Assisted-In-Situ Keratomileusis, aka LASIK, and is still a popular choice for many when it comes to eye surgery. LASIK does the same thing to correct eye vision problems, but the technique is different than the one used for PRK. However, the goal of both procedures is to change the shape of a person’s cornea.
The Differences Between the Two
Although both aim to correct vision problems, the methods and techniques during surgery is what differentiates them. For LASIK, an eye surgeon will make an incision in the person’s cornea in order to create a flap that’s lifted up so that the laser can reshape the insides of the cornea. The surgical laser is controlled by a computer that will carefully reshape and repair any imperfections in the cornea’s curvature that lead to the vision problems in the first place. Then the flap is placed back and will heal over the reshaped part of the cornea after a couple of days.
When a person undergoes PRK, there is no flap inside the corneal tissue. Instead of the flap, the eye surgeon removes the outer layer of the cornea to expose a small area for a laser to reshape. Because of this, PRK is usually a better option for those who meet criteria like having chronically dry eyes.
But the biggest differences between the two types of vision surgeries are discomfort and how fast one’s vision recovers after the surgery. Those who underwent PRKs usually recover a bit longer than LASIK because the outer layer of their cornea needs more time to heal. After PRK eye surgery, patients are given prescription eye drops to reduce discomfort and promote healing.
The time it takes to heal from LASIK is much faster, with discomfort after surgery usually mild and short. Many can start to see normally after a few hours coming out of surgery, but it will take a few months before their vision reaches peak quality.
Contact Us
If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment.