Why PRK is the Best Alternative for LASIK?

LASIK has been invaluable advancement in the field of permanent vision correction. It has been proven as an effective way to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

But LASIK is not the only effective treatment for permanent refractive error correction. There are many other options for correcting the vision, particularly if you are not a suitable candidate for LASIK, like PRK.

Factors not ideal for LASIK candidate

There are a lot of factors that will determine your LASIK eligibility. To find out if you are an ideal LASIK candidate, you should see your eye doctor for a LASIK consultation.

Age

Most people who undergo LASIK are in the twenties to forties age group. While your eye doctor may consider specific age a good factor for candidacy, many people can still have LASIK if they are above their forties.

You must have a minimum age of 18 to have LASIK. In many cases, the surgeon will advise you to wait until you are in your twenties to have the LASIK procedure.

Stable Glasses Prescription

You must have a stable glasses prescription for at least a year before you qualify for the LASIK procedure. Having a stable glasses prescription generally means that you have not changed your prescription in the last two years.

If your surgeon performs the procedure on the eyes which has changing prescription, the procedure’s results are not likely to be optimal.

Eye Health

It is also essential that your eyes are in good health before you have LASIK surgery. If they are healthy, they will heal quickly and correctly.

Your eye doctor can deem you unfit for the procedure if you have certain eye conditions that could affect the result of the procedure.

Corneal Thickness

During your consultation, your eye doctor will measure your cornea for the thickness. Your corneas should be thick enough so that they can create a flap on the surface of your cornea during the procedure.

If you have a thin cornea there will not be enough tissue to be able to create a flap, and the procedure is likely to be unsuccessful. There are other requirements to make you eligible for LASIK.

The consultation before the surgery is an in-depth evaluation of your eyes. Your eye doctor will take various measurements and do a thorough examination of your eyes.

What’s The Difference Between LASIK and PRK?

The PRK procedure was developed and used before LASIK. PRK follows largely the same process as LASIK, with one key difference.

Both procedures involve the reshaping of the cornea which allows the light to focus on the retina in the back of the eye. During the LASIK procedure, your surgeon will create a small flap on the surface of your cornea.

Your LASIK surgeon will then reshape the cornea below the flap and put the flap in its position to heal. This process is different from PRK.

In the PRK procedure, the eye surgeon does not make a flap in the cornea. Instead, they remove a part of the top layer of your cornea.

PRK usually requires a more extended recovery period, but there is no risk of developing any flap complications. PRK is an ideal option for those who actively participate in sports or who do not qualify for LASIK.

PRK is an effective and reliable surgery that produces good visual results. It has a similar success rate as LASIK and is available to a wide range of people.

However, everyone is not a good candidate for PRK. You need to go for a consultation to determine your candidacy for both procedures.