LASIK vs PRK
Laser-Assisted In-Site Keratomileusis (LASIK) and Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK) are surgery techniques that involve the use of lasers to improve eyesight.
Both techniques are used employed by optometrists in Glendale, CA although PRK was the first technique to be used as laser treatment for the eyes. The cornea of the eye is responsible for focusing light to help a person to see properly. The cornea consists of five thin layers of tissue that are transparent and are just at the front of the eye. PRK and LASIK are used to reshape the cornea of the eye. Though both of them employ different methods, they both achieve the same purpose of helping you modify your cornea and correct your eyesight.
Both PRK and LASIK are used to correct eye problems like myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, etc, but the approach is different.
Procedures
If you are having PRK eye surgery, the surgeon will begin by removing the epithelium which comes top of the thin layers that make up the cornea. Next, the surgeon will bring in a laser to change the shape of the other layers such that your eye defect is fixed.
Before the surgery, you will be given eye drops that will act as anesthesia and help you to numb any pain while the surgery is going on. It is also possible that you are given drugs that will help to relax your nerves. Removing the epimedium takes less than a minute and an excimer laser is used to correct the problem in the other layers of tissues that make up the cornea. This process takes less than 90 seconds and in 5 minutes, the whole surgery is completed. At the end of the surgery, a bandage will be placed on top of the tissues to make them heal.
For LASIK eyes treatment, the surgeon can begin with a laser or a tiny blade. The blade or laser is used to create a flap in the cornea. When this flap is created, it will be raised to create space for the surgeon to use lasers to correct the cornea. When the cornea is reshaped, the flap is returned to its position and allowed to heal. The healing can take months to complete.
Like the PRK eye surgery, if you want to do LASIK in Glendale, CA, you will be given eye drops to numb the tissues in your eyes and help you not to feel pain. The flap is created using a femtosecond laser and the layer that is opened is moved to one side while still being attached to the rest of the layers. The surgeon will then use the excimer laser to fix the defect in the cornea and place the opened layer back in its position allowing it to heal with the rest of the tissues.
Recovery from LASIK and PRK
Whichever surgery you do, you will feel pressure as the surgeon is performing the treatment though you will not feel any pain. It is possible that will begin to see changes as the surgery is going. The difference between the both of them is that PRK takes an average of a month to heal while LASIK heals in a few days.
In PRK, a small bandage that looks like a contact lens will be placed over the tissues that were reshaped and this can cause irritation and make you sensitive to light for some days. After about a week, you will have to return to the surgeon to have the bandage removed. Before this time, your vision will be blurry. Eye drops will also be prescribed for your eyes so that the cornea does not get dry while it heals. You will also be given drugs to help you with the pain.
For LASIK, you will be able to see right after the surgery and the cornea will heal completely in a few days. Some hours after the surgery, you might experience a burning feeling in your eyes but it will vanish quickly.
Both techniques are effective for modifying the cornea, the only difference is the time that it takes to heal. PRK costs more than LASIK though they both cost around $2,500 – $5,000 and are not covered by health insurance. For your eyes treatment in Glendale CA book an appointment with us. We also serves nearby areas like Vineyard, Downtown, North Glendale, Moorpark, Glandale, & Citrus Grove.