PRK – advantages and disadvantages to the modern eye surgery PRK stands for ‘Photorefractive Keratectomy’, and is the oldest laser procedures for treating a refractive of error of the eye. This procedure is performed for over 20 years and is the predecessor of Femto LASIK, LASIK, LASEK and Epi-LASIK procedure. Before surgery numbing eye drops administered the patient for a painless treatment pain during eye surgery to relieve and laserns to make the eye while the eyes. The eyes by the PRK treatment the corneal flap, which is intersected by the cornea with a mini Planer is not folded away lasers, as with other methods (such as LASIK), but the superficial layer of the cornea is removed and replaced with an alcohol. This is followed by the actual laser treatment with an excimer laser. The excimer is a gas laser, which this is to correct the corneal layer under the flap to lasers and thus the refractive power of the eye. At the end of the treatment is a protective lens over the Set wound tissue of the eye. This differentiates the PRK Lasik and newer procedures.

During the LASIK method is the natural fabric of the skirt is flipped back protection lens. Has the distinct corneal layer again formed after after the PRK, the artificial lens is removed. Mostly, this procedure is applied in patients that exhibit a low corneal thickness. With thin corneas, the more modern procedures of LASIK and Femto LASIK are not possible, since you cut deeper into this and it is not possible for a very thin cornea. Because it almost never comes to the formation of scars, the PRK procedure is applied again more frequently.

The treatment of both eyes can be performed on the same day. Post-operative pain can be stronger in the Photorefractive Keratectomy, than with the newer procedures, because the epithelial layer no more than natural wound dressing can be used. After the healing of the wound and the distance of the contact lens, Visual acuity recovered recognizable and after about six weeks the cure is complete completed. The PRK treatment same as Epi-LASIK and LASEK – requirements process. The hyperopia can not be treated with the PRK. Advantage is, however, the corneas thin with this procedure can be treated and costs about 1000,-euros per eye below the costs of modern procedures.