Tuesday, January 6, 2009

PRK and LASIK - How different are they?

By Tom Peters

Many of my friends has used LASIK and have raved the way it can give us a perfect vision. The interesting is, very few people have heard of the term Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). PRK is also a pretty well-practiced laser eye sugery that has been achieve the same success as LASIK for at least 20 years.

In this article, let me compare PRK vs LASIK. We will look at the various similiarities and the differences. After reading this, you will have to know how to determine the best procedure for your eye surgery. This article should be able to help you gain the right awareness so that you can talk with the eye surgeon more intelligently.

Here are some common traits of PRK and LASIK:

1) Pain is not evident over the entire surgery

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

3) Both need a few months of recovery from the surgery

4) Both can be used to treat myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism

The interesting thing is that both processes have practically the same results in getting the perfect vision. Many people have seen success with both procedures.

However, The interesting thing is that both have different procedures, but achieves the same results.

Let's look at the differences:

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

2) You need to wear a lens "bandage" for a few days

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

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

5) Patient prefers LASIK because it heals faster

As you can see, there are some differences but in general both processes are safe. To determine which is more suitable for yourself, it is best to consult a well-known eye surgeon who will examine your eyes to determine what is suitable for you. This article should equip you with some knowledge so that you are able to converse with an eye surgeon with more confident. - 15266

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