Sacramento Lasik CaliforniaFriday, May 16, 2008

PRK Sacramento California PRK

LASIK is now the vision correction procedure of choice for many ophthalmologists worldwide. Instead of removing the surface epithelium with the laser and exposing many nerve endings (as in PRK), the surgeon performing LASIK uses a motor-powered microkeratome to create a "flap." The flap is then lifted and reflected back, allowing a computer guided Excimer laser (cold laser) to use light pulses to remodel the corneal tissue underneath. Afterward, the flap is gently positioned back onto the cornea. Since this procedure is less traumatic to the outer surface of the eye, vision is restored more quickly and the patient's discomfort is reduced. Most patients report greater comfort after surgery and can generally drive two to three days after the surgery.
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Photorefractive Keratectomy

PRK is a procedure where the outer membrane of the cornea is removed by an instrument. Then the Excimer laser is used to flatten the top surface of the cornea, 0.2 microns at a time (less than the thickness of a human hair). This flattens the curvature of the cornea, allowing images to be more sharply focused on the retina. The laser part of the surgery takes less than two minutes.

Following the surgery, a special contact lens is applied and worn for three days. It takes approximately three days for the eye surface membrane to heal and a few weeks to months for vision to fully improve to its best level. PRK is beneficial for patients with thin corneas.