Surgery Overview
PRK (photorefractive keratectomy), LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis), and epi-LASIK (epithelial laser in-situ keratomileusis) use a laser to reshape the cornea. By reshaping the cornea, these surgeries allow light to focus on the retina. This corrects a person's vision.
With PRK, the top layer on the surface of the cornea (epithelium) is removed. Then the laser reshapes the cornea. The laser removes tissue from the cornea very accurately. It doesn't damage nearby tissues. The layer grows back during the healing process. PRK may be used to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism at the same time.
With LASEK, the surface layer of the cornea is loosened and pushed to the side. After the laser reshapes the cornea, the surface layer is put back in place.
Epi-LASIK is similar to PRK and LASEK. With epi-LASIK, the surface layer over the cornea is lifted with a special machine. Like LASEK, the layer is replaced over the cornea after the laser reshapes the cornea.
These procedures don't require a hospital stay. They are done under local anesthesia in a surgeon's office or a same-day surgery center. The procedure takes about 30 minutes. Most of this time is spent preparing your eye and the laser. The actual treatment time is very short. Most treatments take a minute or less. (Treatment for farsightedness may take longer than a minute.) The entire process may take about 2 hours, including preparation time, care right after the surgery, and paperwork.
PRK, LASEK, and epi-LASIK are sometimes called surface ablation. They are different from LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) because they don't involve cutting flaps of the cornea.
Many people have PRK or LASEK done instead of LASIK because of the shape and condition of their eyes. LASEK may also be safer for people with certain lifestyles, such as professional athletes, police officers, and firefighters.