All About Lasik

The idea of PRK eye surgery is an appealing one for anyone struggling with glasses or contacts. You want something that is easier and simplier, however you may not understand all the jargon associated with the procdedure. Keep reading to find out more about PRK eye surgery.

PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, is a type of laser surgery used to right moderate near sightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Like other laser eye surgeries, your vision is corrected by reshaping the cornea of the eye. The cornea is the real, front part of your eyeball. Light travels through the cornea and is focused on the retina in the back of your eye. If the cornea is misshapen, the light does not focus on the retina, and your insight is impaired.

In PRK eye surgery, the eye surgeon uses a cool, pulsating laser beam on the surface of the cornea. In Lasik eye surgery, a flap is cut in the cornea, and the laser beam is directed under the cornea.

PRK is very accurate in correcting nearsightedness. About 80% of patients have 20/20 vision without glasses one year after surgery. PRK in general costs about the same as Lasik eye surgery. The recovery time to best corrected vision is longer with PRK than it is with Lasik eye surgery. The typical PRK patient has about 80% of their best insight after a month, and 95% to 100% after 3 months. Lasik corrects insight much faster than that.

There will be some discomfort for the first 24 to 48 hours after PRK eye surgery, and frequently patients expertise light sensitivity as well.

PRK is performed under local anesthesia, and takes about 10 minutes for both eyes. Generally, a bandage contact lens is called immediately after the surgery. This contact lens is worn for three to four days to allow the surface of the eye to heal. You will visit your surgeon the day after surgery, and probably several times over the next six months. Once the surface of the eye has healed, the bandage contact lens will be removed.

Your vision might fluctuate for the first few weeks following surgery. Your eyes will be dry, even if they dont feel like it. Your physician will prescribe eye drops to prevent infection and keep your eyes moist.

Your vision will gradually improve over time. After two to three weeks, you will see well enough to drive a car. Your best vision, but, will not be reached until 6 weeks, to 6 months after the surgery.

PRK has become less common recently. More eye surgeons prefer Lasik procedures because healing time is faster, and the results are more predictable. The final decision on what type of eye surgery to have is up to you. Be sure to understand all the information, and ask lots of questions.

Sarah Jones
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-you-dont-know-about-prk-surgery-could-cost-you-77374.html

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Your doctor has recommended that you undergo Photorefractive Keratectomy – or PRK Laser surgery – to correct a vision problem. But what does that actually mean?

The human eye is constructed like a camera … with a clear lens in the front and light-sensitive tissue at the rear. This tissue makes up the retina which acts like photographic film.

In an eye that has perfect vision, light rays passing through the pupil are focused by the lens to fall precisely at the center of the retina. There are many common problems that can affect the eye and prevent light rays from focusing properly on the retina.
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Three of these problems, myopia – or nearsightedness; hyperopia – or farsightedness; and astigmatism can often be corrected or reduced with the use of PRK laser surgery.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye is too long or the curve of the cornea is too extreme. In this case, light rays are focused on a point in front of the retina – instead of on the retina itself.
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Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye is too short. In this case, light rays are focused on a point behind the retina.
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is unevenly curved,
causing light rays to fall off center or not to focus properly at all.
In either case, PRK laser surgery can be used to flatten all or part of the cornea … allowing your doctor to cause the focal point of light entering the eye to fall more closely to the center of the surface of the retina.
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PRK is a simple and nonintrusive procedure that is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. PRK laser surgery generally does not have any effect on a patient’s overall health and there are no risks in choosing not to have the surgery.

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Getting PRK (laser eye surgery) next Thursday, I just wanted to know if I’ll be getting a profile and if so how long will I have to wait until I can do PT again?
Exmatelo…

It’s going well I have increased my push ups as well as my sit ups (I’m also doing the 200 sit up challenge

Thanks for asking.

I would definately wait at least two weeks before starting doing eye-ups and cardiovascular blinking again.

Laser eye surgery has been such an enormous boon for the “seeing-eye” world that thousands of people with defective sight problems can thank this relatively simple and quick procedure for restoring their sight to acceptable and satisfying levels. But are you aware that their are risks associated with laser eye surgery?

It’s foolhardy to think that any type of surgery is risk free and laser eye surgery is no different. The question you have to ask yourself is whether the benefits of having this type of procedure outweigh the risks and in most cases patients will choose the former.

The good news is that the chances of suffering serious vision-threatening side effects from laser eye surgery are extremely low. But there are risks nevertheless and you should be aware of them.

What Are The Side Effects?

Corneal infection is always a possibility following procedures such as Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Lasik. However, the risk is so low that when it’s presented as a possible worst case scenario to patients, they generally dismiss it as non-threatening. The percentage factor is something like 0.1 per cent which is extremely low. Those who experience it will suffer no long term effects and it usually means a slower healing process and some extra discomfort. It’s hardly reason for concern considering the benefits from receiving the surgery.

Corneal infection aside, one of the more common side effects of laser eye surgery is what is termed as under or over correction. What does this mean? Simply put, it’s difficult to predict exactly how a patients eyes will respond to treatment so in some cases, corrective lenses may be needed in the short term or further surgical treatment is scheduled.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are another side effect of laser eye surgery but again, it’s not sight threatening and can be treated easily with lubricating drops. Patients are generally more worried about the inconvenience of the extra healing time which can amount to several weeks.

PRK patients in some instances will report a condition known as corneal haze. Corneal haze occurs during the recovery process and while it is not threatening in the majority of procedures, there is always the possibility that vision could be impaired somewhat if the haze becomes excessive. As a prospective patient, you should be made aware of this but again, it shouldn’t affect any decision you may make in going ahead with surgery.

Lasik Risks

Flap damage is a risk for lasik patients. The worst case scenario is that the flap could be irrepairably damaged or even lost however, once again the chances of this occurring are extremely low. Another risk for lasik patients involves the possibility of suffering a distorted corneal shape which may occur during healing. If this occurs, it will have some impact on the overall quality of vision.

If you are concerned about the side effects of laser eye surgery then you need to discuss them with your surgeon. We’ve covered a few but there are others, including a condition known as regression. It simply means that the eye may retreat to it’s former state following surgery. This could occur several months following the procedure and further surgery may need to be scheduled. The bottomline… yes, there are risks associated with surgery but in the world of “laser eye” they are extremely low.

Dean Caporella
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-risky-is-laser-eye-surgery-81320.html

To become a pilot in the Australian defence force do you have to have 20/20. If you do not have perfect vision and it is below the standard are you automatically ruled out or are you able to have LASIK or PRK surgery to fix your vision. I have herd differnt things and i just want to know the real answer.

20/20 is 20/20 — how are they going to know your eyes were fixed?

I am having PRK laser eye surgery done soon. What is the recovery like and how long until I am fully recovered?

Do you mean PRK, or Lasek ? (*not* Lasik)

Traditional PRK is less comfortable, and takes longer to heal than Lasik or the newer Lasek.
"After the PRK surgery, the surgeon places a soft contact lens over the eye to help the outer layer to grow back and this can take 3-5 days, during that period, the patient may experience discomfort and blurred vision. "

As far as the main layers of the cornea are concerned, however, it is much less invasive than Lasik and the epitheium does quickly regrow. (the epithelium is continually losing and regrowing cells, under normal circumstances)

Optometrist, retired.

LASIK (laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis ) is probably the most commonly performed laser eye surgery procedure and tends to be what people think of when considering laser surgery for vision correction. However not all patients may be ideal candidates for LASIK surgery due to variations in cornea thickness and curvature. Photo refractive keratectomy ,or PRK, may be the better option for vision correction in some patients who are not able to have LASIK.

Prior to the introduction and subsequent popularity of LASIK, PRK was the most common refractive eye surgery procedure performed. Both LASIK and PRK share similarities in that an excimer laser is utilized to sculpt and reshape the cornea of the eye in accordance with the patients medical needs. Both techniques are used in the correction of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (blurred vision resulting from corneal irregularity), or a combination thereof. Likewise, both are outpatient surgical procedures which may be performed in a physicians office or clinic setting. There are however a few differences in the two procedures.

In a LASIK procedure a small flap is cut with a special tool on the exterior of the cornea. The computer controlled excimer laser is then used to reshape the corneal tissue under the flap. The flap is then replaced over the cornea where it will adhere to the eye and serve to protect it. In PRK, the excimer laser is used to remove tissue and reshape the cornea directly on the surface, or epithelial layer, of the eye. A protective soft contact lens is usually placed over the eye for 3-5 days to allow the epithelial surface to heal.

Several major differences for the patient exist in the two procedures. The first is the recovery period, which tends to be considerable shorter for LASIK patients as opposed to PRK. Likewise, vision improvement with PRK tends to be more of a gradual process than take from a few days to a few months. LASIK patients will in most circumstances experience the benefits of their surgery in a much shorter frame.

A successful end result for both procedures is an improvement in vision, and the correction of pre-existing vision conditions. Only a thorough examination and consultation with a qualified laser eye surgeon can determine which is right for you.

R Heavner
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/lasik-versus-prk-eye-surgery-136018.html

i had laser surgery 12 weaks ago ,i am having trouble with starburst and haloes. will this go away?

idk google it

does the army disqualify you if you have prk eye surgery not laser prk before you enlist? i would really like to know because i am 18 and planning to have prk surgery because it is way better then laser but i want to know if the armed forces disqualify you for enlistment if you have surgery?

Same Ques. was asked the other day and the general consensus was yes they disqualify. Join the AF they pay for it.

I want to become a navy fighter pilot and my eyesight is not 20/20 and i am not sure about lasik because people say that it can permanlety damage my eyes and i hear that lasik can ruin my chances of getting to fly for navy as a fighter pilot

I would like to divide your question into two parts. Whether you should undergo LASIK and What is better, LASIK or PRK.

Regarding the first question, LASIK is not likely to permanently damage your eye and ruin you chances of becoming a fighter pilot. LASIK (especially Blade Free LASIK) is approved by the US FAA and Army. So you should not have such worries. Just remember though, that there might be specific vision requirements. If your Best Corrected Vision is not 20/20 before you undergo any vision correction procedure, it is not likely that you will be 20/20 after the procedure either.

As far as LASIK or PRK is concerned, this is a common debating issue. PRK was introduced several years before LASIK, but today LASIK is more popular than PRK. There are several reasons for this:

a) PRK is more painful than LASIK, especially on the first day after surgery. This pain can be excruciating sometimes.

b) Vision Recovery after LASIK is much faster than with PRK. With LASIK, one can be back to work or studies or whatever within a day, which is not possible with PRK. Vision after PRK returns to normal only over several weeks.

c) LASIK requires fewer post-operative visits to the eye doctor than PRK. This is also more convenient.

d) Especially for higher refractive errors, PRK can sometimes lead to a severe inflammatory reaction characterized by corneal haze and a regression of the eye correction acheived.

Because of all these reasons, LASIK is far more popular than PRK.

However, there are certain times when PRK is preferred over LASIK – a) when one has a thin cornea, a situation in which LASIK has more risk than PRK b) when one has moderate to severe dry eye, because LASIK causes more dry eye than PRK, c) when one has a corneal epithelial disorder, because PRK will also correct the epithelial disorder, and d) when one wants to leave no trace of surgery, because lasik can leave faint marks on the cornea which are visible under high magnification.

Some of these debates have become superficial as thin flap LASIK or SBK becomes more like PRK in terms of dry eye and corneal thickness, and techniques like Advanced Surface Ablation make PRK become more like LASIK in terms of pain and visual recovery.

I think it is important to choose your laser vision correction provider well-not someone who is dogmatic over the procedure to do, but someone who chooses the procedure (PRK or LASIK) which is right for you. For more details, visit my blog http://lasikblogindia.com/