Laser Eye Surgery – A Comparison of Lasik, Lasek and PRK

By Leanne Williams

Over 100,000 people in the UK undergo laser eye treatment every year. The surgery corrects the patient’s vision by shaping the cornea, which controls how well the eye focuses, with a very precise laser. Between 80 and 98 percent of treatments improve the sight sufficiently for the patient to no longer require either glasses or contact lenses.

At present, there are two popular methods of laser eye surgery. The most commonly used form of laser treatment is Lasik. In Lasik, a small incision is made in the cornea to create a flap. Laser treatment can then be carried out. There may be vision loss of 20 to 30 seconds during the procedure. In Lasek the epithelium is removed before the cornea is reshaped with a laser. Laser eye treatment takes around 15 minutes in total.

For many patients, Lasik is a much more desirable option than Lasek treatment. After undergoing Lasek, the patient may experience moderate levels of pain for around 24 hours post surgery. Extreme sensitivity to light is also common for the first couple of days and you will be required to wear sunglasses outdoors for three months. Vision can also remain hazy or blurred for up to a week and it takes around a month before the patient’s vision will ‘settle down’ and the final results of the surgery are known. With Lasik treatment, there is very little post operative discomfort and the results of surgery are apparent much more quickly. Vision should initially be much less blurred than after undergoing Lasek, and the blurriness should dispel within 48 hours. A Lasik patient will probably be able to see well the day after treatment.

For a minority of patients, PRK will be recommended over Lasik or Lasek if the patient has a particularly thin cornea. PRK was the forerunner of Lasek and works by using an excimer laser to remove a thin layer of cells from the surface of the cornea to reshape the eye. No incision is required. The main difference between Lasek and PRK is that in PRK the cells are scraped off and the epithelium is left to grow back after the treatment, which takes several days. In Lasek, the epithelium is removed with a weak alcohol solution and then replaced immediately after surgery. A contact lens has to be worn for several days to hold it in place.

PRK has been around for over a decade and to date there seems to be no harmful long term effects. Lasek is also considered fairly low risk. This is largely due to the fact no incision is required for surgery in either of these laser eye treatments. Lasik, despite its benefits, is considered to be the riskiest form of laser eye surgery. The potential complications include corneal ectasia, where a build up of pressure occurs behind the weakened cornea. Further surgery is required to correct this otherwise a rapid degeneration may occur in the eye sight.

The effects of laser eye surgery are permanent, but the treatment cannot prevent further age-related deterioration.

If you are considering laser eye surgery, book a consultation at a reputable vision clinic where a doctor can assess the best treatment for you.

Leanne has had several articles published on the subject of laser eye surgery.