At one point, PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) was the most common eye surgery procedure before LASIK was developed. LASIK and PRK are both similar procedures for laser eye surgery however each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Individuals that have gone through a LASIK surgery procedure have noted less discomfort and have obtained their optimal vision very quickly. PRK on the other hand takes a few weeks to even months to gain optimal vision as vision improvement gradual increases over time. Surgeons have a greater preference towards PRK in particularly for patients that have think corenas.

The invention of PRK was during the early 1980s and the FDA approved PRK Surgery in 1995. The procedure however was approved in other countries years prior to the United States. In fact many Americans went to Canada for PRK laser surgery because it was available widely prior to the USA.

An excimer laser is used for PRK laser eye surgery, where an ultraviolet light beam removes tissue from the surface of the cornea as it reshapes it. When the cornea is reshaped correctly, it allows the eye to focus clearer providing improved vision that is permanent.

Patients that are nearsighted and farsighted can gain benefits from PRK Surgery. In the case with nearsighted individuals, the objective is to flatten the steep cornea and for farsighted individuals, it?s the other way around where a steeper cornea is required. The laser surgery can also correct astigmatism by smoothing the cornea and reshaping it to normal.