Wish Your Vision Was Sharper? PRK Surgery Improves Several Common Vision Conditions
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) could be a good choice if you'd like to improve your vision with refractive surgery. Refractive surgery improves the sharpness of your vision, eliminating or reducing your need for contact lenses or eyeglasses.
What Eye Conditions Does PRK Surgery Treat?
PRK surgery can enhance your vision if you have one of these conditions:
- Myopia. Near objects are easy to see, but everything in the distance looks blurry if you have myopia, also known as nearsightedness. Myopia happens when light doesn't quite reach the retina at the back of the eye. Light-sensitive cells in the retina translate light into electrical impulses. The brain processes these impulses into clear images. Myopia can occur if your eyeball is too long from front to back or your cornea is more rounded than usual. The rounded cornea covers your iris and pupil and bends (refracts) light inefficiently as it enters the eye.
- Hyperopia. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when light is focused behind the retina due to a too-short eyeball or a flatter cornea. Both hyperopia or myopia can also happen due to an imperfection in the lens behind your iris and pupil. The curved lens helps focus light on the retina and changes shape to provide clear vision at varying distances. If you have hyperopia, near objects look blurry, while your distance vision remains sharp.
- Astigmatism. Lens imperfections or an irregularly curved cornea cause astigmatism. The refractive error makes both near and far vision look blurry.
How Does PRK Surgery Work?
Refractive surgery changes the shape of your cornea, allowing light to be precisely focused on your retina.
You may be wondering how PRK surgery differs from laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery. During LASIK refractive surgery, an ophthalmologist numbs your eye, then creates a flap in the epithelium (outer layer of the cornea) with a laser or small blade. After temporarily pushing the flap aside, he or she reshapes the cornea with a laser before returning the flap to its normal position.
Flaps aren't created during PRK surgery. Instead, your ophthalmologist uses an alcohol solution and a small brush or blade to remove the epithelium. Once the epithelium is removed, the cornea is reshaped with a laser. The epithelium grows back just a few days later.
Why Is PRK Surgery a Good Choice?
PRK may be the ideal choice for you if:
- You Have Problems with Your Corneas. LASIK may not be an option if you have thin corneas, or your corneas are too flat or steep. Fortunately, PRK can help you attain clear vision without contacts or glasses even if there's an issue with your corneas.
- You Participate in Contact Sports. A blow to the face during a game could dislodge your healed flap if you opt for LASIK. With PRK, there's no flap to worry about.
- Your Eyes Are Dry. LASIK may make dry eyes worse and might not be recommended if you have a problem with dry eye. Although your eyes may initially feel a little dry after PRK surgery, they should feel more comfortable as they heal. In an observational cross-section study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in 2023, researchers reported a significantly higher rate of dry eye in LASIK patients compared to other types of refractive surgery, like PRK. They also noted that PRK patients had better tear production than LASIK patients six months after surgery.
- You Want to Improve Your Vision After Other Surgeries. Your ophthalmologist may suggest PRK to fine-tune your vision after cataract surgery or a corneal transplant. PRK can be a good choice if you want to touch up your results after LASIK surgery.
Wondering what type of results to expect with PRK? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 9 out of 10 people have 20/40 vision or better after PRK surgery.
Are you ready to improve your vision with PRK? Contact our office to schedule a consultation with an ophthalmologist.
Sources:
PubMed: Journal of Clinical Medicine: Dry Eye Disease Following LASIK, PRK, and LASEK: An An Observational Cross-Sectional Study, 5/30/2023
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10253504/
American Academy of Ophthalmology: What Is Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)?, 11/8/2024
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/photorefractive-keratectomy-prk
NCBI: StatPearls: Photorefractive Keratectomy, 7/18/2023
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549887/
National Eye Institute: Refractive Errors, 11/15/2023
https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/refractive-errors
All About Vision: What Is PRK?, 8/13/2020
https://www.allaboutvision.com/treatments-and-surgery/vision-surgery/lasik/prk/
