LASIK stands for laser assisted in situ keratomileusis this refers to creating a flap in the cornea with a microkeratome and then with the use of a laser the underlying cornea is reshaped. This procedure is primarily used in treating astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness.
In this procedure, precise and controlled removal of corneal tissue by a special laser reshapes the cornea and changes its focusing power. In this way, LASIK eye surgery corrects a wide range of refractive errors and is a suitable procedure for correcting the most severe refractive errors.
PRK Laser Eye Surgery
PRK laser eye surgery is a procedure that involves the removal of the surface layer of the cornea (epithelium) by means of gentle scraping and use of a computer-controlled excimer laser to reshape the stroma.
As the surface of the cornea is reshaped, the PRK laser changes the curvature of the cornea to change the focusing eye’s focusing power.
This is basically an outpatient procedure and generally performed with local anesthetic eye drops. The PRK laser eye surgery procedure only takes a few minutes to complete, and patients are typically back to daily routines in one to three days.
To sum it up, the major difference between the two surgeries is the way that the stroma, the middle layer of the cornea, is exposed before it is vaporized with the laser. In PRK, it is the top layer of the cornea, called the epithelium, that is scraped away to expose the stromal layer underneath. On the other hand, LASIK involves cutting a flap in the stromal layer and then this flap is folded back.
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