Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

Vision correcting surgery was revolutionized with the advent of the excimer laser. Eye Centers of Florida is proud to be one of the first sites chosen to participate in the FDA clinical trials that proved the excimer laser safe and effective.

PRK combines state-of-the-art computer technology with the precision of a laser.

Sometimes referred to as a "cold" laser because it achieves its results with ultraviolet light and without creating heat at the site of tissue removal, the excimer laser works by directing pulse of high energy laser beam on the surface of the cornea. This energy is so powerful and precise that it actually breaks the molecular bond in the tissue to flatten and reshape the cornea. In fact, the laser is so precise, you could etch a human hair with it.

PRK is performed on an outpatient basis and usually takes about 10 minutes. Patients are given anesthetic eyedrops to eliminate all feeling in the eye. While looking at a blinking light, the laser reshapes your eye in less than 60 seconds. Immediately after the laser treatment, a bandage contact lens is placed over the eye for comfort.

Unlike LASIK, a flap is not created for this procedure. Instead, the very outer layer of the cornea, the epithelium, is removed and the laser is directed at the outer surface of the cornea. The epithelium heals within a day or two after the procedure. A soft contact lens serves as a bandage as the eye heals. Some patients see a dramatic improvement in their vision the first day after surgery, for others, vision may improve more gradually and may fluctuate for several weeks to several months. This fluctuation is part of the healing process and is considered normal.