PRK vs. LASIK
Photorefractive keratectomy (or “PRK”) is used to reshape the cornea of the eye. It was the first surgical
procedure developed to do this using a laser, and it is considered the precursor to the commonly used LASIK surgery. But which procedure is better?
The principle difference between the two procedures is how the stroma, or middle layer of the cornea, is exposed prior to being vaporized by the laser. In the PRK procedure, the top layer of the cornea (the epithelium) is scraped off to expose the layer below the stroma. In LASIK, however, a flap is cut in the stromal layer and the flap is folded back prior to the vaporization.
By way of comparing the two procedures, what follows is an examination of the facts about each of them. These facts may help you to determine which procedure is best for your particular situation.
LASIK:
Requires the use of a microkeratome to create the corneal flap
Does not require stitches; the eye’s natural adhesion is use to keep the flap in place until healing occurs
Patient can usually resume normal activity within 3 days of the procedure
PRK:
Involves no needles or incisions
Requires patient to use eye medications and to wear clear contact lenses to prevent infection. The lenses are removed within 2-5 days after surgery.
Pain relief medicines are usually required for about 1 or 2 days post-op. This is because many of the pain receptors in the cornea are in the section of the eye affected during surgery.
Involves a small risk of healing problems as a result of an irregular healing process or infection. Both of these conditions are usually treatable with medication.
Generally speaking, PRK and LASIK eye surgeries are very similar to one another. Both procedures offer similar vision correction outcomes, but recovery time from PRK is typically longer than that of LASIK. The main advantage of PRK is that even patients who are not good candidates for LASIK (due to things like corneal scars) can often undergo successful PRK surgery. LASIK, however, has proven to result in fewer side effects and is therefore more popular than other forms of laser eye surgery including PRK.