There are different types and variations of laser eye surgery and PRK is one of them. PRK (Photo-Refractive Keratectomy) eye surgery is a laser refractive procedure to correct short sightedness, long sightedness and astigmatism.

In PRK eye surgery, a cool ultraviolet light beam is used to precisely remove very tiny bits of tissue from the surface of the cornea in order to reshape it. When you reshape the cornea in the right way, it focuses more light into the eye and onto the retina, providing clearer vision than before.

LASIK is still the most popular form of LASER eye surgery in the world. This is because the results of LASIK are immediate. Recovery time for LASIK is shorter than the others meaning you can quickly adjust back to daily life within 2 days. The results for PRK is gradual and over a longer period of time, usually taking a year to achieve the same results as you would with LASIK. PRK is often the recommended laser eye surgery when the patient has a thin cornea.

For more information on PRK, you can visit The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the British Society for Refractive Surgery.