Procedures · 02 of 04
PRK
Photorefractive keratectomy. The cornea's thin surface layer is removed, the excimer laser reshapes the surface, and the layer grows back over a few days under a protective contact lens.
Cross-section, not to scale
- Approach
- Surface treatment, no flap
- Laser platform
- Excimer laser
- Laser time
- Under a minute per eye; about 15 minutes in the suite
- Sees clearly by
- Days, then sharpening for a few weeks
- Back to work
- 3 to 5 days
- Suited to
- Thin corneas, contact sports, uniformed services
Who it suits
- Corneas too thin for a flap
- Boxers, martial artists, anyone who takes knocks to the face
- Mild to moderate powers where a flap adds nothing
What to know
- The first two or three days are uncomfortable and blurry
- Final vision takes weeks rather than a morning
- Sunglasses and drops matter more, for longer
Recovery
What the first month looks like.
- Day 0
About 15 minutes in the suite. A soft bandage contact lens goes on. Home with drops and dark glasses.
- Days 1 to 5
Grittiness and blur while the surface heals. The bandage lens comes off once it has.
- Weeks 2 to 6
Vision sharpens week on week. Office and screens from about day 5.
- Month 3
Stable. Final review.
PRK questions
Straight answers.
The general questions, on cost, safety and age, are answered on the main FAQ.
Why would anyone choose PRK over LASIK?
Because there is no flap. If your cornea is thin, or your life involves impact to the face, the slower recovery is a fair trade for treating the surface only.
How much does it hurt?
Numbing drops mean nothing during the procedure. For two or three days afterwards it feels like a scratched eye; drops and the bandage lens keep it manageable.
The other three
- 01LASIKThe world's most performed vision correction. A thin flap, an excimer laser, clear vision by the next morning.Read
- 03SMILE ProKeyhole surgery through a 2 mm opening on the ZEISS VisuMax 800. Laser time under ten seconds per eye, gentle on dry eyes.Read
- 04SILKThe newest lenticule procedure. Flapless, gentle correction designed for crisp day and night vision.Read