As modern medicine has evolved over the past twenty years, those with vision problems have been able to gain a new lease on life through advances in eye surgery. PRK, known as Photorefractive Keratectomy, was the breakthrough surgical technique for those seeking to correct their vision. Before LASIK surgery came along, PRK was the surgery of choice to give patients a chance to regain a large portion of their vision. While today PRK has taken a back seat to the more popular LASIK surgery, it still has its place in medicine and is used in cases where a patient’s cornea is too thin or uneven for LASIK surgery.

Excimer Laser

The invention of the excimer laser was what catapulted PRK to the forefront of eye surgery in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Used to reshape the cornea, the laser is applied directly to the cornea and allows the surgeon to precisely alter the cornea to help the patient attain greater visual acuity. While it may take several weeks for patients to have significant improvement in their vision to the point of being 20/20, patients can carry out most of their normal activities so long as they are careful not to injure their eyes.

Morphine Drops

Most of the latest innovations regarding PRK involve improving a patient’s vision and recovery time to help them heal at a rate closer to that of LASIK patients. One of the more recent advances in PRK involves the use of morphine drops to improve a patient’s comfort level after PRK. Because a cornea has opiate receptors, the morphine binds to them to help relieve eye pain but does not get inside the eye or the rest of one’s body. Studies have shown this type of treatment is safe and effective on the majority of patients, allowing them to have greater comfort in less time.

Contact Lenses

A recent study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center involved using a contact lens with a higher visual power to help a patient’s vision return to 20/20 as fast as possible. During the first several weeks after PRK surgery, patients who wore a high-powered contact lens reported significant improvement in their vision. Similar to LASIK surgery patients, these PRK patients reported having 20/20 vision almost instantly.

Advanced PRK

PRK surgery has advanced to the point where many patients can now achieve just as good results with this surgical procedure as with LASIK. The use of computer-controlled lasers to reshape irregular or thin corneas has allowed surgeons to have greater control over the sculpting of the eye.

Fewer Side Effects

One of the best advances for patients who undergo PRK surgery today is the lessening of the potential side effects. Because doctors are able to gain more control over how they can reshape the cornea, they can also decrease the chances of patients suffering from dry eye syndrome, infections and other problems. For those patients who are not good candidates for LASIK surgery, PRK has been and continues to be a viable alternative that can often produce the same results as LASIK, though the results may take a bit longer to become evident. As technology continues to develop and research continues into eye diseases, further advancements in eye surgeries are just around the corner.

About Author : Austin Faux works for 2020 Eye Surgery Institute. When at work I’m researching the latest Lasik news for more blogs. But when at home I’m helping my beautiful wife relax, playing with my two kids and messing around on my nerd podcast, “I Am A Super Nerd.” Find me on Google
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