LASIK has been the traditional procedure for millions of patients looking to correct their vision through surgery. As of 2018, almost 8 million Americans had undergone LASIK and more than 40 million procedures have been performed since 1991. But with new options available, is LASIK still the best way to correct your vision? Is laser eye correction right for you?
Photorefractive kerectomy (PRK) is a common eye surgery that began seeing widespread adoption following successful procedures in the late 1980’s. PRK may be a suitable option for patients who do not qualify for LASIK. This procedure is a good alternative for those with irregular corneas or other conditions that prohibit traditional LASIK surgeries.
During the PRK procedure, an ophthalmologist removes tissue from the eye without any cutting, unlike LASIK. Rather than cutting, PRK utilizes a weak alcohol solution to soften the tissue; which allows the surgeon to remove it. There are also surgical instruments that can be used to remove the cornea’s outer layers, but none require the use of a knife.
Once these outer layers of tissue have been removed, the surgeon can then use a laser to reshape the cornea. Reshaping the cornea has been successful in treating astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness in order to correct a patient’s vision.
There is a very small potential for complications with LASIK because it requires cutting a flap in the anterior cornea stroma (outer layer of tissue), rather than removing it entirely. The quality of the cut in the flap can strongly influence the success of the procedure, which is why it’s so important to have a highly experienced ophthalmologist perform a LASIK procedure.
Although there is not potential for flap complications with PRK, there may be some drawbacks to choosing this method of vision correction. PRK can have a longer recovery period than the more popular LASIK procedure. This is because the epithelial tissue must regrow entirely, rather than healing from an incision. Therefore, the timeline for recovery from PRK is closer to weeks compared to days with LASIK.
While this information can be useful when considering what type of corrective procedure is right for you, a medical professional is necessary to help you make the final decision. For more information and to speak with a licensed ophthalmologist, contact the staff of Palmetto Eye & Laser Center at (864) 583-6381 or use the online contact form that is available on our website.
Read more…Is LASIK Surgery Permanent?
