The PRK technique medical term: photorefractive keratectomy is the oldest method of laser eye surgery. This technique removes a thin layer of cells from the surface of the eye, allowing the laser to model the underlying cornea.
It offers an alternative for people who have a lower corneal thickness and are therefore ineligible for laser eye surgery using the Femto-LASIK procedure. As soon as the eye is exposed, the cornea is shaped using a laser to enable light rays entering the eye to be precisely focused on the retina. Finally, a protective lens is placed onto the eye, which remains there until the epithelium grows back β usually within a few days. The full recovery of vision usually occurs after about one month, but it may take longer in some cases.
The PRK technique is often considered equivalent to the LASIK procedure, but the two methods differ slightly in the first step: while the epithelium is completely removed and not reused as part of the PKR technique, the tissue is returned to its original position after surgery in the case of LASIK surgery. However, both methods follow the same surgical procedure. As with all ophthalmological topics, the PRK technique first involves a discussion with the ophthalmologist treating the patient, which explores suitable solutions for your visual impairment and explains the advantages and disadvantages of the different laser eye treatment methods.
After performing some tests, the ophthalmologist is able to tell patients whether their refractive error can be corrected using the PRK procedure. Of course, the PRK treatment method that best suits the individual needs of the patient will then be selected in consultation with the ophthalmologist. The PRK procedure is fundamentally suitable for many people, as it can be performed even with thin corneal tissue.
Book your free laser consultation today and discover how you can start a new chapter in your life without visual aids. Ophthalmic surgeons advise their patients not to wear hard contact lenses for at least four weeks before the operation or soft contact lenses for at least two weeks before the operation contact lenses may affect the diagnostic tests carried out before the operation. Laser eye correction using PRK procedures takes an average of 10 to 15 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis using anaesthetic eye drops local anaesthesia.
