Top 10 PRK Myths

PRK Myth #1. PRK does not work for astigmatism.

• Many individuals have not had laser vision correction because of this common myth. In fact, similarly to LASIK, a majority of astigmatic prescriptions can be treated with PRK today. Only about one percent of people with astigmatic prescription have too high of a prescription to treat with today’s LASIK technology.

PRK Myth #2. You have to keep their eyes perfectly still in order to obtain a good PRK outcome.

• While it is asked of you to do your best to look at a blinking target light during PRK, it is not necessary to achieve the impossible feet of keeping eyes perfectly still. The Star S4 Visx and Allegretto Wavelight LASIK machines use a technology called pupil tracking to track the micro-movements of the eyes and adjust to them at the rate of at least 60 times a second. The laser is programmed to stop and save the treatment should there be a large movement that the machine can not track. Your surgeon can also pause the treatment at any time should there be a large change in position.

PRK Myth #3 PRK results do not last very long and my vision will certainly be blurry again in a few years. Related myth: some surgeons and surgery centers can guarantee that my prescription will not change after surgery.

• It is true that prescription of your eyes can change after PRK. The prescription of eyes can change over time with or without having had PRK. Most people’s eye prescription stabilizes some time in their early twenties, however, every person is unique in this way. The longer your vision has been stable prior to your PRK, the higher the likelihood that your vision will be stable after PRK. Also, the larger prescription you have to begin with, usually the higher the likelihood that your prescription can change after the PRK procedure. Despite this natural change for some people, most studies have shown that patient satisfaction with laser vision correction remains high years after. This is likely because the possible changes are usually of much smaller magnitude than the original prescription. In other words, even if their eyes’ prescription changes over time, most patients continue to see much better without glasses than they could prior to surgery.

PRK Myth# 4 LASIK is better than PRK.

• According to a recently published study in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery by  Moshirfar et al, 6 month outcomes were very comparable between wavefront-guided PRK and wavefront-guided LASIK. In this recent study, PRK patients had less higher-order-aberrations (which is a subtle type of image blur). LASIK is a procedure with very high rate of success in correcting prescription of eyes. It usually works efficiently and painlessly. PRK is not as convenient or as fast as LASIK, however, it obtains similar long-term results and has certain safety benefits compared to LASIK.

PRK Myth #5 You will never need glasses after PRK.

• People with good distance vision in both eyes, whether they have had LASIK or not, will need reading glasses some time between the ages of 40 and 50. This is called presbyopia and is due to the decreased ability of the lens inside the eye to change its focus as we get older. One way to help delay your need for reading glasses is to obtain a monvision or modified-monovision correction using PRK or contact lenses. Some frequently asked questions about monovision are answered in the 101 PRK faq section of this website.

PRK Myth #6 It does not make a difference who does my PRK surgery because the laser does the surgery.

• Qualities, experience, and training of your surgeon make a very significant difference. We recommend making sure that your surgeon has trained in reputable U.S. universities from undergraduate, to medical school, to internship, to residency and specialty training. Choose a surgeon who is skilled and experienced in PRK as well as general ocular surface surgery, and has excellent bedside manner. Remember, that attention to details of every case by an excellent physician and surgeon often results in excellent surgical outcomes; so it is best to choose a surgeon that spends time and attention on details of YOUR particular case.

PRK Myth #7 The same laser is used for PRK in all different places.

• There are many different types of laser machines used for PRK. Some use superior technology compared to others. The low-cost LASIK centers often utilize the less expensive or older technologies. The PRK machines that we recommend are Star S4 LASER and the Allegretto Wavelight LASIK machines. The kind of machines used does make a significant in the quality of your LASIK outcome.

PRK Myth #8 If you have thick glasses, PRK will not work for you.

• Advancements in PRK technology today have significantly increased the number of patients who are good PRK candidates. Now, over 90 percent of the U.S. population that needs glasses or contacts can be helped by laser vision correction.

PRK Myth #9 20/20 vision can be guaranteed.

• An excellent surgeon using Wavefront PRK technology achieves similar outcomes to LASIK which is a 20/20 visual outcome in about 93 – 95% of the eyes.  So although 20/20 is not guaranteed, there is a very good chance of achieving 20/20 vision.  Complete visual recovery after PRK, however, can take months however.

PRK Myth #10 PRK is expensive.

• Excellent PRK providers using top technology usually cost 3000 to 5000 dollars. With interest-free financing and use of pre-tax flexible spending accounts, PRK is now affordable for a much larger segment of the population. In addition, cost of contact lens use and glasses over time can quickly add up to the cost of PRK. It is possible to find PRK for significantly cheaper prices, however, be sure to read the fine print because the discount-LASIK and discout-PRK practices often do not offer the leading technologies and can add extra costs when you schedule your procedure.