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PRK Surgery

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a surface ablation technique that delivers excimer laser treatment directly to the corneal stromal surface, without creating a corneal flap. It is the preferred alternative to LASIK for patients with thinner corneas, certain topographic patterns, or occupations where flap-related risks are a concern.

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— Surface Ablation

PRK

What is PRK?

During PRK (PhotoRefractive Keratectomy), your ophthalmologist first uses a sterile alcohol solution to loosen up the epithelium (surface skin cells) on the center of the eye. The cells are then gently removed using a special surgical brush. The excimer laser is then used to ablate a custom-pattern over the eye, reshaping its surface. A contact lens is then placed over the eye to serve as a bandage.

PRK is often a great alternative to LASIK for people with dry eyes, are concerned about trauma to the eye, or have anatomically thinner corneas that would not allow for LASIK. Your ophthalmologist will help you determine which procedure is best fit for your individual needs.

Why PRK instead of LASIK?

— How it Works

PRK Step by Step

PRK removes the thin surface epithelium before applying the excimer laser directly to the underlying Bowman's layer and stroma. A bandage contact lens protects the eye while the epithelium regenerates over 3–5 days.

1

Epithelial Removal

The thin corneal epithelium (~50μm) is gently removed using a dilute alcohol solution or mechanical technique, exposing the stromal surface for treatment. No flap is created.

2

RECOVERY & FOLLOW-UP

The epithelium fully regenerates within 3–5 days, at which point the bandage lens is removed. Vision improves progressively over 1–3 weeks, reaching its final acuity by 1–3 months.

3

Bandage Contact Lens

A therapeutic soft contact lens is placed to protect the ablated surface while epithelial cells regenerate. Topical anaesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic drops are prescribed.

4

PRE-OPERATIVE OPTIMISATION

The identical wavefront-optimized excimer treatment used in LASIK is applied directly to the stromal surface. The ablation profile is indistinguishable — only the access method differs.

FAQs about PRK Surgery

PRK has a slightly longer recovery time compared to LASIK. On average, this recover period is somewhere between 3 and 5 days. During this time, patients may experience blurriness and fluctuations in their vision during the initial days of healing, and may experience brief periods of discomfort or irritation as the epithelial cells regrow. Prescribed anti-inflammatory and lubricating drops will minimize post-procedural discomfort and speed-up the healing process. As with LASIK eye surgery, the end results are improved vision.
As with LASIK, anesthetic numbing drops are placed on the eye, so you won’t feel anything from the laser treatment. You may feel some light pressure during the procedure. Patients report feeling some mild discomfort and irritation following their PRK procedure, but state it is tolerable. This irritation can be alleviated by the use of lubricating drops and over-the-counter pain relievers are prescribed by your surgeon. The discomfort is most noticeable in the few days immediately following the procedure and abate over time.
We understand that the concept of having someone do something to your eyes can be unsettling, but rest assured, you don’t experience pain. Since the eyes are easily numbed with anaesthetic numbing drops, you won’t feel pain. Being asleep during LASIK or PRK eye surgery would actually be detrimental; for the cool-pulses of laser light to reshape the cornea in the right places of your eye, you will be asked to focus on a blinking light during the very short procedure (less than a 60 seconds per eye).
In most cases, the results provided by PRK eye surgery are permanent. However, there are rare instances where some regression of the improved vision presents the need for an enhancement laser vision correction procedure. Dr. Jimmy Hu offers peace of mind, as any medically-appropriate laser vision enhancements or re-treatments, are provided free of charge, to help you maintain your best-achieved vision results for the rest of your life.
Custom PRK refers to the computational algorithms used in measuring the eye from front to back, creating a three-dimensional (3-D) image of the cornea. This corneal mapping, which is like the fingerprint of each patient’s eye, allows Dr. Jimmy Hu to treat refractive errors AND higher-order aberrations – irregularities on the cornea that act as lumps and bumps on a surface that ideally, would be smooth. These aberrations may lead to poor night vision, glares and haloes, starbursts, and low-contrast vision problems. Custom PRK offers a quality of vision that surpasses the results of standard, or conventional PRK, which uses a patient’s prescription alone as the guide in programming the laser. Patients after custom laser treatment have fewer issues with glare/haloes, if any.
Yes! Both Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Spending Accounts (HSA) are approved for PRK, as PRK is considered a qualified medical procedure.