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After
years of development laser vision correction has become
a safe and viable alternative for many patients who
would like to see clearly in the distance without using
glasses or contact lenses. The two most common procedures
are LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) and PRK (photorefractive
keratectomy).
PRK
was the first of the two approved by the Federal Drug
Administration (FDA). The number of people who received
PRK declined over time as LASIK became the treatment
of choice. We are now seeing a resurgence in the number
of PRK procedures being done.
Am
I a candidate?
Since
both procedures flatten the cornea (front of the eye)
to correct your nearsightedness, the thickness of your
cornea must be great enough so that a set minimum is
left after the procedure. For borderline individuals
PRK would be the chosen procedure. The amount of your
prescription has to fall within FDA approved guidelines
for the procedure contemplated and the equipment the
clinic you have chosen uses. These guidelines have broadened
over time which increases the number of candidates.
What's
the difference in the two procedures?
Although
PRK is the older procedure, results are as good
or better than Lasik. The first PRK patient was treated
in Germany in 1988. During PRK, the cornea is prepared
for treatment when the surgeon gently removes the epithelial
surface cells after using anesthetic drops. The laser
then reshapes the cornea and a protective soft contact
lens is placed on the eye. The corneal surface epithelium
then regenerates under the contact lens over the next
3 to 4 days. The contact lens is worn day and night
at this time.
In
general, there is some mild discomfort associated with
this procedure. However, this is well managed with medication
which can include both eyedrops and pills. Full visual
recovery takes 3 to 6 months. Steroid eyedrops may be
necessary for 4 to 6 months.
With
Lasik, first a small thin flap is created and
flipped out of the way. The laser then reshapes the
cornea and the flap replaced and smoothed out. There
is less discomfort with this procedure and recovery
is much quicker. No contact lens is worn after the procedure
and eyedrop medications are usually used for only 4
days. With both procedures frequent use of artificial
tears is required for some time thereafter even though
your eyes do not feel dry.
You
can always find out more from internet web sites such
as tlcvision.com (TLC Laser Eye Centers' website) or
at pcli.com (Pacific Cataract and Laser Institutes website).
Which
procedure is for me?
Consult
with your eye care practitioner. The unique characteristics
of some eyes may require one method over the other.
PRK, for example, is recommended for those with thinner
corneas, corneas that are flatter (less curved) than
normal or those individuals who do not wish to have
a flap created. Some surgeons feel that PRK causes less
post operative dry eye than lasik.
What
is Intralase?
It
is an alternative way to create the "flap"
just prior to using the laser to remove your refractive
error (prescription). The original flap creation technique
employs a microkeratome (an instrument with a surgical
knife blade). Using this "bladeless"
method
has proven to be a safer way to create the flap and
actually produces better visual outcomes! The flap created
with Intralase is more precise with less induced aberrations.
Custom procedure outcomes are better with Intralase.
Ninety percent of lasik patients now choose Intralase
over the microkeratome.
What
is CustomLasik?
Custom
LASIK is a procedure that enables your surgeon to further
customize the conventional LASIK procedure to your individual
eyes. This customized procedure may result in patients
seeing clearer and sharper than ever before. FDA studies
show that Custom LASIK may produce better vision than
is possible with contact lenses or glasses. Findings
show that the average visual acuity for those tested
6 months following CustomLasik was a remarkable 20/15.
Their visual acuity was as good or better than pre-operative
best corrected vision for 93% of patients. After surgery,
those
patients said they were "very satisfied" in
all areas of visual performance that were tested.
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LASER VISION CORRECTION
