ShelbyEye - Pierremont Eye Institute

Home | About Us | Our Doctors | Why You Wear Glasses | Frequent Questions

Cataract NearVision CK Epi-LASIK CustomVue LASIK LASIK-Nearsightedness LASIK-Farsightedness PRKPRK vs LASIK Corneal Transplant Blepharoplasty Eye Conditions Glaucoma Macular Degeneration Diabetes Dry Eyes Videos Payment Options Contact Us

Photorefractive Keratectomy - PRK

PRK Photorefractive Keratectomy, or PRK, is one of the oldest methods for Laser Vision Correction. Before LASIK became popular, PRK was the primary refractive surgery performed.

PRK is performed by first placing removing the superficial layer of the cornea, the epithelium . This layer is removed by either gentle scraping or using a laser. Once the surface epithelium is removed, the bare cornea is treated with the Eximer Laser.

After PRK, a contact lens is placed on the eye and you are sent home with drops and some pain medicines.

I personally see my PRK patients everyday postoperative until the epithelium has healed over which is usually about 3-4 days. Once the epithelial layer has healed, we remove the contact and continue topical drops. Most people ask why we would perform PRK instead of LASIK. Good question. You can view a complete comparison between PRK and LASIK here, on our website.

Generally PRK is chosen over LASIK if

The Cornea is too thin to cut a flap
Patient lifestyle is not conducive to having a flap
Patients refuse to have their eyes cut
Physician feels you are not a good candidate LASIK

The main difference between PRK and LASIK is healing time, post-operative discomfort and visual recovery. It takes about a week for the epithelium to heal after PRK. There is a moderate amount of discomfort for a few days after having PRK. The vision usually takes between 5-7 days to recover after PRK.

The main reason LASIK is performed so much more often than PRK is simply recovery time. We do not push LASIK over other procedures like you will find at other places. We evaluate every patient individually and then thoroughly discuss your options allowing you to make an educated, informed decision about how you want your eyes to be corrected.

If you would like to sit down and discuss all of your options for Vision Correction Surgery, call us at 318-212-3937 to schedule your FREE screening TODAY!