What is PRK?
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a refractive surgery procedure performed to improve your vision. It is effective at correcting common refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. PRK is one of the most common LASIK eye surgery alternatives available.
The best way to determine whether PRK is the right procedure to achieve your refractive surgery goals is to speak with Dr. Chris Walton in person. During your initial consultation, Dr. Walton will perform a comprehensive evaluation and recommend the ideal treatment plan to address your unique needs.
Please call 251-341-3385 today to schedule a free consultation at our office in Mobile, Alabama. You can also fill out the form in our contact page, and our staff will help you set up your appointment with Dr. Walton!
What is the difference between LASIK and PRK?
Both LASIK and PRK reshape your cornea with an excimer laser in order to correct refractive vision errors including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. However, these procedures differ in the way that Dr. Walton accesses your cornea.
When performing LASIK, Dr. Walton creates a flap in your cornea which allows the laser to reshape any corneal irregularities. PRK doesn’t create this corneal flap. Instead, the procedure uses a surface ablation technique which removes the surface layer of your eye, called the epithelium, so that Dr. Walton can reshape the cornea.
Your epithelium will heal completely during the PRK recovery period. However, due to this healing process, the PRK recovery is significantly longer than the LASIK recovery.
What our patients are saying...
"It literally changed my life. I can see better now than I could at any time in my entire life. It's amazing. It was so worth the money. Everything I was told would happen happened. I'm just very happy with the results." - G. S.
Am I a candidate for PRK?
Dr. Walton only performs PRK in situations where patients aren’t good LASIK candidates. This typically occurs when your cornea is too thin to accommodate the creation of a flap during the LASIK procedure.
In addition, ideal PRK candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Age 18 or older
- Have healthy eyes
- Have a stable eyeglass prescription for at least one year
Your PRK Procedure
Your PRK procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and only takes a few minutes to complete. Dr. Walton will administer anesthetic eye drops in order to ensure you don’t experience any discomfort. The epithelium will be removed by an excimer laser, which will then be used to reshape any irregularities in your cornea.
It is common to experience blurry vision immediately after your procedure, but this should subside in a few days as your eyes heal. Normal activities can typically be resumed after one to three days. It typically takes longer to experience your final results with PRK than with LASIK, but more than 95% of PRK patients don’t need glasses within three months after their procedure.
Please contact Dr. Chris Walton today to schedule your free PRK consultation. Dial 251-341-3385 today to reach our office, or fill out the appointment request form in our contact page. We serve patients in Mobile, Alabama, and throughout the Gulf Coast region.