When considering any type of surgery, it is very important that you do your research and know the credentials of the surgeon you choose to perform your surgery. When having LASIK or some other eye surgery performed, it is especially crucial that you put your eyes in good hands. There are a number of laser surgeons out there from which to choose, but not all of them have the same training and expertise.

Laser vision correction of the eye is a precise, minimally invasive laser treatment that reshapes the cornea, helping your eye to focus properly. It can reduce or eliminate the need for contact lenses or eyeglasses. This treatment is performed with an excimer laser, which has been thoroughly tested and clinically proven. In fact, since the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the procedure in October 1995, more than 1,000,000 procedures have been performed in the U.S. alone. Over 3,000,000 treatments have been performed in the last eight years worldwide.

PRK vs LASIK

PRK, or Photorefractive Keratectomy, does not include an incision on the cornea. Instead, an excimer laser carefully shapes or sculpts the corneal surface by ablating or removing tissue from the corneal surface. The thickness of tissue removed is often less than that of a human hair. Laser vision correction with PRK involves the removal of less than ten percent of the corneal tissue because the excimer laser is so precise. The end result is a re-sculpting of the cornea, allowing light to properly focus on the retina. PRK was studied in clinical trials for six years before approval in the United States. It uses a computerized laser to correct nearsightedness(myopia) and farsightedness(hyperopia).