One of the earliest and most common types of laser eye surgery, photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, is an effective procedure for correcting vision. In fact, the long-term results from PRK eye surgery tend to be much better than other forms of laser eye surgery, such as LASIK. Unfortunately, there are also a number of problems that can result from PRK eye surgery.
How PRK Eye Surgery Works
PRK eye surgery uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. In the procedure, the surgeon removes the epithelium (the outer layer of the cornea). This allows the doctor to reshape the eye using the laser. With PRK, a surgeon can correct vision problems such as myopia and astigmatism. After PRK eye surgery, the patient wears special contact lenses that act as bandages. These lenses allow the epithelium time to heal and regenerate.
Pain
One of the most common PRK eye surgery problems is pain. Because the epithelium is removed completely, the cornea is exposed. This sensitive area takes weeks to regenerate, and during that time many patients experience soreness. This type of pain is the complaint patients have most often about PRK, and is one of the reasons that many eye surgeons prefer to use LASIK, as LASIK patients tend to experience less pain than PRK patients.
Persistent Dryness
Most patients who undergo laser eye surgery will experience some degree of dryness, and those who have PRK eye surgery are no exception. This dryness will cause the eyes to feel itchy and irritated. For most patients, eye dryness diminishes over time. Some people, however, have persistent dryness. This persistent dryness has to be treated with eye drops or other dry-eye medications.
Under-Correction or Astigmatism
PRK eye surgery patients sometimes suffer from under-correction as well. This occurs when the surgeon removes either too much or too little tissue from the cornea. When this happens, the solution is usually to undergo another laser eye surgery in order to correct the problem.
A patient may develop an astigmatism if the surgeon removes tissue in an uneven fashion. Here again, another laser eye surgery is required in order to correct the astigmatism.
Distorted Vision
Some PRK eye surgery patients experience distorted vision after their laser eye surgery. They may see halos surrounding objects. They may experience a glare at night. Some patients experience double vision. Minor distorted vision problems can be treated with eye drops, while more serious vision problems require yet another laser eye surgery.
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