Types
PRK Versus LASIK Laser Eye Correction Surgery
By now, you have likely heard of laser eye surgery. It has become a really good way to get your eyes fixed. After all, wearing glasses and contact lenses is a real hassle. No one wants to have to deal with that kind of thing. Not to mention the fact that glasses can be very expensive. If you get progressive bifocals, they can easily cost $500 per pair. But what about the alternatives to this? Laser eye surgery is a good method to go with because it is a short procedure and it gives you permanently great vision. There are several different kinds of laser eye correction that you can choose from, though.
The most well known kind of laser eye surgery is LASIK. You see advertisements for this in newspapers and on billboards all the time. you may even know someone who has used this type of eye surgery. Although it is still relatively new, there have been many people who have had successful surgery with this method. They come out of the half hour procedure being able to see farther and better than they ever could before. What makes this method special is the way they cut into the eye. They use either a laser or a machine to cut a semicircle into the cornea, the clear part, of the eye. They then fold it back to create a flap. From there, they are able to alter the interior of the cornea in order to permanently improve your vision.
Another common laser eye surgery technology is PRK. This stands for photorefractive keratectomy. Although it is a little less known compared to LASIK eye surgery, it is actually the very first surgery of its kind, predating LASIK. It uses the same equipment as LASIK, but that get at the cornea a little differently. Instead of cutting a flap like they do with LASIK, they shave off the front layers of the cornea directly when using the PRK method.
This is a very good method for people who have thin corneas. If your cornea is thinner than normal, you likely won’t be able to use LASIK surgery. For some, that means you won’t be able to get the surgery at all. Most people don’t realize that they could still go the PRK route. With PRK, they can operate on people with thin corneas. Where once these people could never get the optical help that they needed, now they can.
These are the main differences between LASIK and PRK laser eye correction. Since PRK is not as well known as LASIK, it may be harder for you to find an eye surgeon who will perform the procedure. This may also mean that you will be paying more for the surgery than you would if you got LASIK instead. still, getting the surgery done is often worth the extra price and the extra research involved in finding a good doctor. When you do look for doctors, make sure that they have good credentials and that their reviews show that they know what they are doing.
With the option of two different laser eye surgery methods, you are given a choice for which one works best for you. This is great because surgeons of these two methods will also try to work harder to be able to get your business. still, you should try to avoid eye surgeons who are charging too little. Anything under $1,000 is shady, and you should avoid these. A lower price denotes a lower quality level. When it comes to your eyes, it is important to spend the little bit of extra money in order for it to get done right.
