The surgery PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy is used to reshape the cornea. It was the first surgical procedure that man developed to reshape the cornea. PRK reshapes the cornea by sculpting using a laser. Later on LASIK was developed. PRK and LASIK often use the same type of laser in surgical purposes. The main difference between PRK and LASIK is the fashion the middle layer of cornea (stroma) is exposed, before vapourising with the laser. The topmost cornea layer (epithelium), in PRK, is scrapped away and the layer underneath (stoma) is exposed. In LASIK, however, a flap is cut in the stroma and then it is folded back.
PRK vs LASIK treatment

•    LASIK doesn’t require stitches. The flap stays in position by natural eye pressure.

•    LASIK uses medicines like eye drops for about one week of time and the patient can start his normal life in three days.

•    In LASIK, the patient feels irritation or discomfort of about five to six hours. It is in this time the epithelial layer heals.

•    The major disadvantage of LASIK is that the patient needs an additional surgical step, i.e. the creation of flap. However, the flap creation is painless and in fact takes less than a minute to complete.

In PRK the epithelium which is the top surface level of cornea is removed. This in turn exposes the inner cornea. Now the laser connected to the computer begin to reshape the eye’s curvature.

•    In PRK, the surgeons do not need use any needles or incisions.

•    One very good feature of PRK compared to LASIK is that to prevent infections proper eye medications are used and clear contact lenses are placed.  After 2 – 5 days of surgery the lenses are removed. The epithelial layer then regenerates itself and it take 3-4 months time to heal. Eye medications prescribed will now work as preventing infections and accelerate healing procedure.

•    In PRK, the patients are usually advised to take pain killers for the first 1 – 2 days. This is because, the nerve fibres are mostly located in the surface portion and when PRK process is applied, they are affected causing pain.

•    PRK also has fewer risks compared to LASIK in case of infection and/or irregular healing response. Medications are mostly used to treat them.