If you are considering getting laser eye surgery to correct your vision, the initial procedure that might cross your might will most likely be LASIK eye surgery, however for many candidates PRK Surgery might be a better option. For some individuals it might be the only option.
So you might be wondering why someone would consider going through PRK laser eye surgery, well it’s main benefit that can be seen over LASIK is that a corneal flap is not left remaining and also their are fewer chances of complications visible. When discussing the corneal flap, we can see that it is an actual change in the structure in the eye and it may prevent future surgical treatments if their are any complications.
To date, LASIK can be seen as being more popular when considered to PRK surgery and that is because of some of the cons of PRK surgery. PRK laser eye surgery has a much longer recovery time because the epithelium is completely removed and it takes time for it to grow back. This alone causes recovery to be a lot more painful when compared to LASIK even though there is no cutting involved in PRK surgery. Also it takes quite some time for PRK patients to reach their best uncorrected vision, which is usually between one to three months. LASIK results are far more faster.
For many individuals, the option of the two is not even a consideration. The limitations are due to the fact that these candidates have thin corneas and are only suited for PRK surgery. If LASIK surgery were to be preformed on an individual with a thin cornea than their is the possibility of jeopardizing the integrity of the cornea and therefore PRK is the recommended method because it does not do as much change to the structure of the cornea when compared to LASIK.
This decision is one that should be made carefully by an individual only after learning and understanding both options that are available for laser eye surgery. You should do your research and weigh the pros and cons of both procedures and make a decision that works best for you.
Photorefractive Keratectomy or PRK for short is a popular method of laser eye surgery used to correct near sightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. With this procedure, your vision becomes corrected by correcting and reshaping your eyes cornea. The cornea is described as the clear front of your eyeball.
With PRK eye surgery, the doctor will use a pulsating laser on the surface of your eyes cornea, however in the LASIK eye surgery, a flap is cut within the cornea and the laser beam is targeted under your eyes cornea.
The PRK procedure is precise in correcting nearsightedness. It is known that approximately 80% of patients that under go this procedure using PRK laser eye treatment have 20/20 vision without the use of glasses after a year of the surgical date. The cost of PRK and LASIK eye surgery is the same however the recovery time to total corrected vision a lot longer with the PRK procedure. 80% of individuals who have had PRK reach their best vision after about a month and 95 to 100% after 3 months. LASIK vision correction is a lot faster.
After completion of PRK surgery, the patient is expected to have some discomfort for the first day or two and light sensitivity may also be expected during this time.
It takes about 10 minutes to perform a PRK laser eye surgery on both eyes. It is a quick procedure that is done under local anesthesia. Immediately after the procedure a bandage type contact lens is applied to the eyes which remains for three days to let the exterior of the eyes to heal. It is required for the surgeon to remove it upon your follow up visit. The day after your surgery you will be required to visit the surgeon to ensure a successful surgery. Three or four days after to remove the contact lens and probably several times over the next few months for check up visits.
You may experience a fluctuation in your vision for a few weeks after your surgery. Your eye may feel dry, you will have eye drops prescribed by your physician to ensure you eyes remain moist and also to prevent an infection.
Over time, you will notice a significant improvement in you vision, after only two or three weeks you will see well enough to be able to operate a motored vehicle, however your optimal vision is not reached until six weeks to even six months after your surgery.
PRK surgery comes second to LASIK eye surgery these days as most surgeons prefer and recommend LASIK due to the fact that the healing process is a lot faster and the overall results are more predictable. Make your decision carefully to determine which laser vision correction is best for you. Do your research, weigh the pros and cons of each surgical option and don’t be afraid to ask you surgeon questions. It is your responsibility to learn and understand the benefits that laser eye surgery has to offer.
You may be familiar with the benefits of PRK laser eye surgery, however have you done your research and educated yourself about the risks and complications that are involved? Their are a few things that advertisements on laser vision correction do not tell you and it is essential that you know before going through the procedure of vision correction.
You must keep in mind that any surgical procedure carries risks and laser eye surgery is not any different. Some risks that are involved in the procedure include:
- Vision loss. Sometimes things do not work out for the best, some patients who were told that their vision will improve after the procedure actually result in worse vision than they initially had prior to the procedure. In this case you may have to have another procedure to attempt to correct the issue.
- New visual problems may emerge. It is not uncommon that after a vision correction surgery, some patients may infect develop halos or glares and even double vision as a result of a PRK eye surgery.
- Wrong treatment. Reshaping the cornea with laser treatment is a delicate procedure. Occasionally, the cornea may not be reshaped properly and have too little material removed or infect they might eve have too much removed. This will result in an inaccurate procedure.
- Dry eyes. It is very common that many individuals will have dry eyes upon a successful surgery. In this case eye drops and healing time will usually correct or help the problem. However keep in min that in other serious cases, an additional procedure is required to prevent tear loss from the eyes which in turn causes the eyes to be dry in the first place.
- An infection or healing problem. With any surgical procedure, their is always a possibility of infection. It is very important to take all medications prescribed after your surgery and consult with your doctor if you feel their might have been an issue. An infection can delay or complicate the healing process so it is very important to follow up with the doctor after your surgery.
- Corrected vision may fade over time. It is important for you to realize that with laser eye surgery, it might be possible that the results do not last forever. The cornea will change shape as you age which means your vision will change over time. Laser vision correction is a fairly new technology that is available for us so we don’t really have long term data to compare results to. Will we know if it will last forever? No we don’t but some doctors warranty their work so that if your vision does change, they will do another procedure free of charge.
It is important that you discuss with your doctor about the risks and complications that might involve you and whether you are a successful candidate for PRK laser vision correction.
Many individuals that require glasses or contact lenses on a regular basis may find the idea of laser eye surgery to be interesting. The surgery changes the cornea to improve the vision to 20/20 or better. This procedure will improve your vision permanently, although many doctors do not warranty a lifetime of enhanced vision as your eyes will age naturally and poor vision of time is expected. The question you might be asking yourself is how much does it cost to go forward with a laser eye surgery procedure.?
The cost varies from institution to institution but on average its is noted to be between $500 to $2500 per eye. The price range is dependent on the amount of work and requirements that are needed to enhance the individuals vision. The lower priced generally applies to those individuals that require a straightforward procedure, however if you have stigmatism that may be considered severe, you will be looking to spend more to correct your vision.
Although laser vision correction may be considered an expensive procedure, it can be seen as a cost effective solution for those with poor vision. Patients that go through a laser eye surgery procedure gain the benefit of excellent vision and can endure in savings by no longer require the purchase of glasses or corrective lenses. The initial cost of going through laser eye surgery may seem expensive, but in the long term it can be seen worth it financially and personally.
It’s very important to understand that the cost of eye surgery alone should not be the only reason to consider when looking for a doctor to do the surgery. Because of the type of surgery, it is important to find a reputable doctor due to the problems that may occur. It might be beneficial financial to find the cheapest doctor however their are reasons for the quoted price. The equipment may be old and the training level of the doctor may not be as sufficient as the others. It is important that you ask many questions about the clinic and the physicians to ensure you are getting the best treatment available for you. It might be good to note however that the majority of individuals that have gone through laser eye surgery have gained positive results and are content with the expense.
PRK is known as one of the most popular forms of laser eye surgery. Photorefractive Keratectomy which or PRK for short, is a procedure that reshapes the cornea that is in your eyes with the use of a laser. It is a very effective procedure that reshapes your cornea to let you enhance your vision to 20/20 or even better. 80% of individuals have concluded that their that they have improved vision and no longer require the need of glasses or contact lenses.
Another popular laser eye surgery procedure is known as LASIK which is quite different than PRK. LASIK uses the laser only to shape the top portion of the cornea in the eye where as PRK laser eye surgery reshapes the bottom of it. Also note that with PRK, there is no need to slice the top portion of the cornea to form a flap.
The main benefits that can be seen with PRK Laser eye surgery are the fact that you will no longer be dependant on wearing glasses or contact lenses. Those with nearsightedness achieve most success with these type of procedures. Also those individuals with a high degree of farsightedness and with astigmatism will have the least predictable results with laser vision correction.
Results that are achieved most defiantly depend on the degree of your vision problems going into the surgery before hand and also the quality of the work that your doctor does. The effects done with laser vision correction are permanent. Your vision will always be optimal after the surgery if successful. However you must keep in mind that your eyesight will change over time as you age. This is relevant once you reach the age range of forties and fifties.
It is essential that you choose an ophthalmologist that is experienced in PRK laser eye surgery correction. It is a good idea to do your research online and learn more about vision correction and if it will benefit you in the long run. Don’t think about now, but also think about the future. Make sure you understand completely about the procedures and the risks and benefits that are involved. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, do your homework so that you will be happy with the end results.
PRK Eye Surgery | admin May 4, 2010 | 
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