PRK – All you should know
PRK stands for Photorefractive Keratectomy, and was the very first type of laser surgery. It is
very useful in correction of moderate near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism, and
for removal of contact lens or glasses.
Like, all the laser surgeries PRK also focuses on reshaping cornea, by exposing it to the laser
made out of cool beam of UV light which scrapes away the epithelium of cornea. The outer layer
of Epithelium has a high growth rate and will grow back naturally in some time, but this process
destroys the inner epithelial layers like Bowman’s membrane which naturally protects the
cornea and this could cause problem in the late future.
Pre-requisites to undergo PRK
As a well-known treatment for myopia, almost 80% people suffering with it are automatically
eligible for the process. There are however, a few criteria that needs to be satisfied as well:
Eighteen years of age or more and a normal health
Smaller pupil size in a dark room is more preferable
Myopia between a scale of 1.00 to 12.00 diopters
Should not be pregnant during the surgery
Should not have used steroids
No systematic disorder or ocular disease
Why opt for PRK?
PRK surgery is extremely accurate in case of myopia and approximately eighty to ninety
percent of the patients had an eye-sight of 20/20 within one year of undergoing the medical
procedure, without any visual aid. This surgery does not require a corneal flap, instead an outer
layer of cornea is removed for a period of time, till the inner layer is treated and then placing it
back. This is beneficial to people with very thin cornea and chronically dry eyes.
Side-effects and Risks Involved