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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
