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The excimer laser was first developed by IBM to etch circuit patterns on microprocessors. PRK was the first procedure performed using the excimer laser. In fact, the very first patient who underwent PRK (who was thought to be totally blind) eventually turned out to have 20/20 vision following her laser! In PRK the excimer laser is applied to the surface of the cornea. Unlike in LASIK, a corneal flap is not created. With PRK, the epithelium or outer layer of the cornea is removed and the laser is applied directly to the surface of the cornea. For various reasons there are some people who can't or shouldn't have LASIK performed, but still wish to have vision correction surgery. Reasons for this include underlying corneal problems, severe dry eye problems, corneas too thin to perform LASIK, and eye sockets which are too small to allow for safe creation of the LASIK flap.
PRK can be used to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, just like LASIK. You can even have custom vision correction with PRK as well! Because the healing process is somewhat slower than LASIK most people will opt to have one eye treated at a time, with a period of several days to two weeks between treatments.
PRK is a great option for vision correction for those people who may not be able to have LASIK. Your Skyvision Center surgeon and staff are available to discuss this with you.
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