PRK Laser Eye

Your doctor has recommended that you undergo Photorefractive Keratectomy - or PRK Laser surgery - to correct a vision problem. But what does that actually mean? The human eye is constructed like a camera ... with a clear lens in the front and light-sensitive tissue at the rear. This tissue makes up the retina which acts like photographic film. In an eye that has perfect vision, light rays passing through the pupil are focused by the lens to fall precisely at the center of the retina. There are many common problems that can affect the eye and prevent light rays from focusing properly on the retina. Three of these problems, myopia - or nearsightedness; hyperopia - or farsightedness; and astigmatism can often be corrected or reduced with the use of PRK laser surgery. Myopia, or nearsightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye is too long or the curve of the cornea is too extreme. In this case, light rays are focused on a point in front of the retina - instead of on the retina itself. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye is too short. In this case, light rays are focused on a point behind the retina. Astigmatism occurs when the cornea is unevenly curved, causing light rays to fall off center or not to focus properly at all. In either case, PRK laser surgery can be used to flatten all or part of the cornea ... allowing your doctor to cause the focal point of light entering the eye to fall more closely to the center of the surface of the retina. PRK is a simple and nonintrusive procedure that is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses. PRK laser surgery generally does not have any effect on a patient's overall health and there are no risks in choosing not to have the surgery.

PreOp | April 9, 2009

Tags:. .retina. .prk. .filmin. .flatten. .unevenly