PRK Laser Eye Surgery at Stahl Vision Laser Eye Center in Dayton Ohio
About PRK ( Photorefractive Keratotomy)
Glossary: PRK, known medically as photorefractive keratectomy, is a type of Laser Eye Surgery used for the Laser Vision Correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. CustomVision™ is a refinement of Custom Wavefront Laser Eye Surgery by Stahl Vision to achieve high contrast vision and can be done with PRK.
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At a Glance: PRK
Some patients with thinner corneas, high prescriptions, or certain occupations may not be candidates for LASIK. For these patients PRK may be the best option. With PRK, the front surface is prepared by cleaning the front surface free of cells before applying the laser treatment. A bandage contact is worn afterwards for the first few days to allow healing of the surface. Vision improves several days after surgery once the surface cells have had some time to heal and recover after PRK.
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Upon the FDA approval of the Excimer Laser for Laser Eye Surgery, the initial treatments to correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness were performed using a procedure called PRK, which is known medically as Photorefractive Keratectomy.
For some selected patients, Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is a procedure that offers those dependent on eyeglasses or a contact lenses the opportunity to be less dependent on or even eliminate their glasses and contact lenses.
In the Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) procedure, the Laser Eye Surgeons Drs. Stahl & Knowles begin by placing a few eye drops in your eyes to numb the surface of your eye. This is to make sure you are comfortable during your treatment. In fact, you should not experience any discomfort during your procedure. After entering the Excimer Laser suite and reclining on the laser bed, laser eye surgeons Drs. Stahl & Knowles will carefully place a fine instrument between your eyelids to help you remember to keep them open during the PRK procedure.
Drs. Stahl & Knowles will first need to gently remove the outermost layer of the Cornea, which is called the epithelium. This can be done by the eye surgeon lightly rubbing the surface of your eye with a dull instrument or as many laser eye surgeons prefer, may be done directly with the laser. By removing this thin layer, the eye surgeon can then apply the actual laser beam to the surface of the Cornea where it will reshape the curvature in order to create the necessary change to correct your vision and eyeglass or contact lens prescription. The application of the laser is very precise as a computer in the laser controls it. Your laser eye surgeon and staff will have programmed the laser based on their measurements and calculations gathered from your consultation. CustomVision™ is a refinement of Custom Wavefront Laser Eye Surgery by Stahl Vision to achieve high contrast vision and can be done with PRK as well.
You should not be alarmed by the need to remove the thin epithelial layer in the PRK procedure as Drs. Stahl & Knowles will place a comfortable “bandage lens” in your eye after your treatment which is really just a very thin soft contact lens that helps your eye heal.
For some PRK patients, during the first day or so after the procedure, as the surface of your begins to begins to heal, they may experience a mild to moderate amount of discomfort which they tell us feels like “grittiness or sandiness”, almost like they have something under their contact lens. Drs. Stahl & Knowles may prescribe some additional eye drops to make your comfortable, control or reduce any inflammation that you may have as you heal, and/or to prevent any infection during the healing process.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAREFULLY FOLLOW ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS YOU ARE GIVEN REGARDING EYE DROPS, MEDICATIONS AND THE SCHEDULE OF FOLLOW-UP VISITS
Today, at Stahl Vision, Drs. Stahl & Knowles use the advanced technology of the Wavelight Allegretto Wave® Eye-Q Excimer Laser. This laser technology is distinctly different from the Excimer Laser systems used to perform PRK in the late 1990’s in that it actually measures the exact position of your eye hundreds of times during the treatment and adjusts the precise location of the application of the laser. In addition, rather than applying the laser in a “beam”, it delivers the laser to the surface of the eye in very small-less than 1.0mm-spots in pattern selected by the computer in order to obtain the smoothest treatment and best vision correction. By using this “scanning-tracking-spot technology”, PRK patients at Stahl Vision receive a smoother PRK surface treatment and experience a quicker and more comfortable visual recovery than others might have in the past.
While today Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) may only be recommended for a limited group of patients, it has an important place for those patients who have corneas that are too thin to have LASIK Eye Surgery, for those who have corneal scarring or irregularities making them unsuitable for LASIK surgery and for those who are involved in an activity that might result in direct contact with the surface of the eye.
During your Laser Eye Surgery consultation at Stahl Vision, our eye surgeons will thoroughly consider your individual lifestyle needs, eye health and vision requirements and help you select the best treatment option for your situation.
Stahl Vision Laser & Eye Surgery Center in Dayton Ohio is conveniently located for patients seeking PRK or CustomVision™ PRK from Troy, Tipp City, Sidney, Greenville, New Carlisle, Springfield, Huber Heights, Fairborn, Centerville, Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Kettering, Oakwood, Dayton, Trotwood, Englewood, Cincinnati, Chillicothe, Circleville, Portsmouth, Marietta, Waverly, Athens, Brookville, Germantown, Vandalia, Eaton, Xenia, Jamestown, Washington Court House, Yellow Springs, Carlisle, Franklin, Springboro, Waynesville, Lebanon, Mason, Oxford, and Middletown Ohio. Please call Stahl Vision at 937.643.2020 to schedule an appointment for an examination or consultation for PRK or CustomVision™ PRK.
