The key differences between LASIK and PRK treatments at Optilase

Did you know that Optilase offer different types of laser eye surgery? Are you having difficulty deciding which treatment is best for you and your need?

Here at Optilase, Ireland’s leading laser eye surgery, we’re here to breakdown the differences between LASIK and PRK so you can decide on the best course of action for you and your eyes.

First, what is laser eye surgery?
Laser Eye Surgery is a way of permanently correcting your vision. The procedure uses a special type of laser to gently reshape the surface of the eye. In order to correct certain vision problems such as, nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Over 30 million people worldwide have chosen to undergo this quick, painless and yet life-changing procedure, to achieve 20/20 vision. Laser eye surgery gives you the opportunity to live a life free from the inconvenience and cost of having to wear glasses and contact lenses.

What’s involved in a LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Procedure?
LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) or IK, for short, is the most frequently performed laser procedure in the world.

Your Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon prepares your eye for laser treatment by creating a small flap on the surface of the cornea (front surface of the eye) by using blade-free IntraLase technology. The laser is then applied to the underlying surface to reshape your cornea and correct for your prescription. Your Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon then places the flap back down and your eye begins to heal. The key benefits of the LASIK procedure are a rapid recovery time, usually within 48 hours and little or no post-operative discomfort.

• Step 1: Anaesthetic drops are applied, which have the effect of numbing your eye.
• Step 2: A small flap is created on the surface of the cornea using blade free IntraLase technology.
• Step 3: The laser is then applied to the underlying surface to reshape your cornea and correct your prescription
• Step 4: Your Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon then places the flap back down and your eye begins to heal.

What’s involved in a PRK Laser Eye Surgery Procedure?
PRK/LASEK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) or Surface Treatment (PRK/EK) is a vision correction procedure in which the vision correction treatment is applied to the surface of the cornea. PRK is the procedure of choice for patients whose corneas are too thin to have LASIK.

PRK/LASEK corrects your vision the same way LASIK does, by reshaping the cornea with an Excimer laser so light focuses directly on the retina. The difference is that with LASIK, a flap is created on the outer part of the cornea, and vision correction is applied to the inner tissue of the cornea.

With PRK/LASEK, a portion of the eye surface called the epithelium is softened using an Ethanol solution and gently moved aside. The laser is then applied to the underlying surface to reshape your cornea and correct your prescription. A special contact lens is put in place over your cornea for a period of five days to provide comfort and protection to the surface as it heals.

The decision as to which procedure is best for you will be made in consultation with your Laser
Optometrist and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon.

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