What is Photorefractive Keratectomy?

Advantages of PRK Treatments:

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) offers several advantages as a surgical procedure for correcting refractive errors of the eye, compared to other methods like LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis). 

Here are the key advantages of PRK laser eye surgery:

• No flap is created within the cornea during PRK eye surgery, so the problems associated with creating a flap are avoided.
• This procedure is highly recommended to patients who have thin corneas or have an improper shape to the cornea for LASIK to be done.
• This helps preserve the strength of the cornea by preventing the creation of flaps and works best for people at risk of having potential eye trauma.
• No risk of complications related to the flap: Flap dislocation or inflammation under the flap is avoided.
• Stable results in the long run: Results related to vision correction are predictable and stable over long periods.
• It is for patients with various types and degrees of refractive errors.
• This is safer for certain medical conditions or risky occupations where flap-related complications may become an issue.
• No Risk of Flap-Related Trauma: Because no flap is made, it eliminates the risks of flap displacement or dislodging.

Conditions treated by PRK Surgery:

PRK surgery is mainly indicated for refractive error treatment, not diseases but conditions that alter the light focus on the retina.

The following are specific refractive errors that PRK eye surgery can treat effectively:

• Myopia (Nearsightedness): PRK laser eye surgery works by flattening the cornea to correct myopia so that light focuses correctly on the retina rather than in front of it.
• Hyperopia (Farsightedness): PRK eye operation steepens the cornea, which shifts the focus of light onto the retina.
• Astigmatism: PRK reshapes irregularly curved corneas into a spherical configuration to sharpen the focusing of light onto the retina.

Other than refractive errors, PRK Lasik does not indicate or treat eye diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, or retinal disorders. that’s why any person who would like to do PRK should have a comprehensive eye examination by an ophthalmologist or refractive surgeon to assess, depending on the extent of the refractive error and general eye health, whether they qualify for this procedure.