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Hi! My name is Veronica. I need to undergo eye surgery and PRK is an option. What is PRK eye surgery? What does it stand for?

Veronica_Lark (Female, 43)

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Catrina B. Cosio RND

PRK eye surgery or also known as photorefractive keratectomy is an eye surgery laser type that is used to correct mild to moderates nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism

l kinds of laser vision correction surgeries work that reshapes the cornea and clear the frontal part of the eye so that it could travel through it and is focused properly on the retina which is located at the back part of the eye. This procedure is done under local anesthesia and would take 10 minutes to do both of the eyes. An eye surgeon during PRK uses a laser for reshaping the cornea. This delivers a cool pulsing beam of ultra violet light on the cornea's surface and not underneath it.

The advantages of PRK have high accuracy in correcting many cases of nearsightedness. 80% of the patients with PRK have 20/20 vision without the use of glasses or contact lenses one year after the surgery or 95%-98% have 20/40 vision or even better without the use of glasses or contacts.

As for the disadvantages, a patient may experience mild discomfort including slight irritation of the eye and being watery for 1 to 3 days following the procedure. This surgery is also expensive as much as Lasik which costs as much as $2,200 to $2,250 each eye. Lasik corrects vision much faster than this. There is still predictability in terms of t he outcome and some patients may still need to wear glasses.

After undergoing PRK surgery, expect that most of the time a bandage contact lens will be applied after the procedure immediately. This lens is worn for the first 3-4 days allowing the surface of the eye to heal. A visit to the doctor must be expected at least few times during the first 6 months of surgery. As soon as the surface of the eye is healed, the bandage contact lens is removed. There will be a fluctuation in vision between clear and blurry for the first few weeks following surgery and wearing of glasses for night driving and reading will be needed until the vision becomes stable. The eyes will become dry even if they don't feel that way. Prescription eye drops will be given by the doctor to prevent infection and keep the eyes moist. These drops may cause a slight burn or temporary blurring of vision once these are used. Never use eye drops not recommended by an ophthalmologist.

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Joan M. Victoriano OD/RN

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK) is an eye surgery wherein the laser removes a layer of corneal tissue, which reshapes the cornea and allows the light rays to focus closer to or even on the retina.

PRK is performed using an excimer laser, which uses a cool ultraviolet light beam to precisely remove very tiny bits of tissue from the surface of the cornea in order to reshape it. When the cornea is reshape in the right way, it works better to focus light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before.

Both nearsighted and farsighted people may benefit from PRK. With nearsighted people, the goal is to flatten the too-steep cornea; while, with farsighted people, a steeper cornea is desired. Also, excimer lasers could correct astigmatism, by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more normal shape.

Most people achieve 20/20 visual acuity or better vision with PRK. Some can achieve only 20/40 visual acuity or not quite as good. In fact, 20/40 visual acuity is fairly good vision. Some patients might still need glasses or contact lenses following laser vision correction, though their prescription level will be much lower than before.

Postoperative complications may include infection and/or night glare (starbursts or halos that are most noticeable when viewing lights at night, such as while driving).

Cary M. Silverman MD

Patients whose corneas are too thin or too flat are typically unable to undergo the LASIK procedure. For these patients, surface treatments may be a viable alternative. these surface treatments include: PRK, LASEK, and epiLASIK. Surface treatments are an effective alternative. They do not require an opening to be made in the cornea, and no cuttting of a flap is required. This reduces the potential for post-surgical complications arising from the use of a blade to create a corneal flap.

During the procedure, an instrument called a trephine to isolate a thin layer in the outer portion of the patient's cornea (the epithelium). Next, an alcohol solution is applied to the eye to loosen the layer. After the alcohol solution is removed, the epithelial flap is delicately peeled back, and an excimer laser is used to carefully reshape the cornea. By properly resculpting the cornea, the ophthalmologist is able to improve the ability of the eye to focus on images. For most patients, this results in dramatic improvements to their quality of vision.

Though the recovery period following surface treatments is longer than it is in LASIK surgery, patients will still be able to return to work and other light activities in three to five days. Vision will gradually improve over the course of several weeks until the cornea has completely healed.

For more information on refractive surgery: Free Mini E-Book Download: Today's Facts About LASIK http://tinyurl.com/c3vcw4

5min Life Videopedia

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum

Vision Loss in One Eye

BACKGROUND

Sudden loss of vision in one eye should be treated as a medical emergency, and the person should immediately be taken to the emergency room. This symptom can be a warning sign for a stroke, just like loss of function in an arm or leg on 1 side or sudden difficulty with speech can be a warning sign for a coming stroke. Caught early, the entire stroke may be prevented, where waiting could leave the person paralyzed.

TREATMENT

Call 911 or your local ambulance phone number and go to the emergency room — NOW!

View More

FDA Approved Drugs

FDA approved drugs for the treatment of Local Anesthesia

bupivacaine (generic)

Sensorcaine-MPF Spinal

ropivacaine (generic)

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