PRK or Photorefractive keratectomy LASIK is a procedure for laser treatment of eye which can correct moderate astigmatism, farsightedness and nearsightedness. All laser surgeries involves reshaping of cornea and clearing the front portion of the eye such that travelling of light will be focused properly on retina which is located at the eye’s back. There are various methods for reshaping the cornea, ranging from manual cutting of epithelial tissue to powerful laser treatment. In PRK, a laser that delivers a cool pulse of UV rays will be used to reshape the patient’s cornea. It will be used above the cornea surface, unlike LASIK in which It will be passed underneath the cornea.

Photorefractive Keratectomy is very accurate and is very good for patients with nearsightedness. Around eighty percent of patients have achieved 20/20 vision without use of contact lenses, a year after surgery. Around ninety five percent obtain 20/40 or still better vision without using contact lenses or glasses.

The drawbacks of PRK are,

1. It is very expensive, which can cost similar to LASIK which ranges around 2000 to 2200 USD for each eye.
2. Some discomfort including watering or irritation in the eyes for two to three days after the surgery.
3. It can take long time to get the best vision without using lenses. Around eighty percent get it one month after the process and around 95 percent get it three months after treatment. But in LASIK, vision correction is very rapid.
4. We cannot predict the outcome exactly and many patients still require the use of glasses.
5. The side effects include discomfort, irritation and loss of best vision which can achieved through glasses. There can be mirror glare which depends on the pupil size of the patients under dim light. There could be mild halos formed around images for some patients.

Before getting a PRK surgery, we should consultant a doctor and examine our eyes thoroughly and check whether we are fit for the treatment method.