The Next Level Experience
What is PRK?
In certain situations, Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) laser surgery may be recommended instead of SMILE or LASIK. This is often the case when a person’s cornea is too thin or mis-shapen to safely allow creation of a LASIK flap.
PRK can treat nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. While the long-term vision results with PRK are excellent, it is typically a longer and sometimes difficult recovery process for many patients. Most patients require prescription pain medication to get through the first several days, and the final vision result may not come in for up to 3-6 months. This may make it harder to drive and function for a period of time afterwards.
The Procedure
In PRK surgery, the surgeon instill a series of numbing drops on the eye and then remove the surface cells from the cornea. Once the outer tissue has been removed, the surgeon then uses a computer-guided laser (Alcon Wavelight EX500 Excimer laser) to reshape the inner layers of the cornea, thus correcting your vision. A bandage contact lens is placed on the eye for a period of 4-7 days to assist in the healing process. The cells grow back naturally over several days following the procedure.
Topography-Guided PRK
We are proud to provide topography-guided PRK for patients with stable keratoconus or corneal ectasia!
Keratoconus is a disease in which the cornea becomes distorted into an irregular shape, specifically bulging like a cone. The irregular shape of the cornea makes it difficult for keratoconus patients to see clearly with glasses or soft contact lenses.
In topography-guided PRK for keratoconus, the laser is used to correct the cone-shaped corneal irregularities that are causing distortions. By using the patient’s custom corneal topography data, the laser reshapes the corneal surface to improve the cornea’s shape and visual performance. The goal is to improve the cornea’s architecture in order to enhance vision with glasses or contact lens fit, depending on the need of the patient.
