Understanding PRK Laser Eye Surgery

PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy is one of the types of laser eye surgeries that is very popular today. Like other laser eye surgeries, here, too, the cornea of the eye is reshaped and the success rate of this surgery is said to be very effective. In fact, it has been known to restore 20/20 vision or sometimes even better! Results have proved that 80% of those who opt for this surgery can throw away their glasses or corrective lenses. And that for most people who have vision that needs correcting, is very good news indeed!

How is PRK laser eye surgery different from LASIK and LASEK? The difference lies in the fact that here, what the laser does is pulse the top of the cornea so there is no need to cut a flap in the cornea as the other laser surgeries do. So let?s look at all the benefits that PRK laser surgery offers. In the first place, if you want to go in for PRK, your case should be a moderate one of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Then you can be almost sure of benefiting from this surgery. As it does not entail slicing the cornea and making a hinged flap in it, there is less likelihood of complications during and after the surgery. Cutting a flap sometimes hinders the healing process, especially if the patient accidentally rubs his eye before it is fully healed.

Does PRK laser surgery have any disadvantages? Well, one of the complaints is that there is more pain after the surgery. This could also mean discomfort for many days, as well as the eye watering and getting irritated for a much longer time. Further, in order to regain a 20/20 vision, it might take several months and though the results are usually good, there is no guarantee that you will not have to use glasses after the surgery. People have also complained about experiencing glare and seeing halos around images. The cost of PRK laser surgery is around $2000 for each eye, which is pretty much the same as for LASIK surgery.

Let?s take a look at what PRK laser surgery involves. First of all the surgeon will have to do a complete medical history before the procedure can be fixed up. He has to satisfy himself that you are a good candidate for the surgery. So this would involve a bit of eye testing. After this, a date is set. This is what happens at the surgery. The patient is given a local anesthetic and then cool laser beams are pulsed on the top of the cornea. This is done till the cornea has been reshaped properly. Then a bandage that looks like a contact lens is put over the eye and has to be kept on till the eye heals. The patient has to go and see the surgeon regularly in the course of the next few months.

For quite a few weeks, the vision will alternate between blurry and good. So you might just have to wear glasses during this time. And it is recommended that you do at night. The eyes will have to be kept moist with eye drops. You should not be driving for a while after you have had PRK eye laser surgery. Sometimes, the best vision that you can expect after this surgery will come about in six weeks, sometimes it takes six months.

What you need to be very particular about is to get an ophthalmologist who is well-trained in PRK laser eye surgery. Make sure that you interview several and get referrals before you make your choice. Look at the fine print so there is no chance for misunderstandings or miscommunication. And don?t be tempted to pick an ophthalmologist just because he offers a discount. In fact you should steer clear of those who give large discounts or use a lot of advertising.

For more helpful information about vision care and lasik surgery visit http://www.vision-care-guide.com