Thursday, January 15, 2009

PRK vs LASIK - The Differences

By Tom Peters

We have often heard about LASIK and how it can help us achieve perfect vision. However, very few people have heard of this term Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). PRK is also a pretty common laser eye sugery that has been practiced in many countries for more than 2 decades.

With that mind, let me compare PRK vs LASIK. What are the similiarities and the differences. At the end, you will need to find out which procedure is suitable for you. This reading will help you gain the good facts so that you can converse with the eye doctor more intelligently.

The common traits of PRK and LASIK:

1) There is no pain over the entire process

2) Both require medication for the eyes for a few days after the surgery

3) Both need some months to recover from the surgery

4) Both are effective to treat myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism

The interesting thing is that two of them have almost the same outcome in getting the perfect eyesight. A lot of people have seen success with both procedures.

However, The interesting thing is that both have unique procedures, but the exact results.

So, what are the differences? In short, there are a few main differences:

1) Patients with certain corneal conditions or corneal scars have to undergo PRK, not LASIK

2) Lens "bandage" seems to be required after the sugery

3) LASIK has one more step which requires the creation of a flap

4) PRK does not need to create a flap, but go to the cornea's inner layers by taking out the thin outer layer of the cornea

5) LASIK tends heal faster than PRK

As you can see, there are some differences but in general both processes are safe. To determine which is better for yourself, it is best to consult a well-known eye surgeon who will examine your eyes to decide which is best for you. This article should equip you with some knowledge so that you are able to speak with an eye surgeon better. - 15995

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