Laser Eye Surgery’s Best Kept Secret: PRK Success Rates

A patient, smiling broadly because he can see clearly without glasses after having undergone PRK surgery

Although LASIK has gotten the majority of the press since its inception, it is far from the only form of laser eye surgery to offer the potential for freedom from glasses and contact lenses. Its sister procedure, PRK, is capable of producing equally outstanding visual results and has impressive records of safety and patient satisfaction, as well. Indeed, reports have found that as many as 99 percent of the patients that have undergone PRK surgery are satisfied with their results, which means that it has one of the highest patient satisfaction rates in medical history. Approximately 95 percent of PRK patients achieve 20/40 vision or better, while roughly 70 percent achieve 20/20 vision or better.

At Laser Vision Correction Center of New Jersey, the PRK success rates of our West Orange, NJ practice fall right into line with that statistic. PRK is the laser eye surgery of choice for many patients, while for some patients who are not good candidates for LASIK, it represents a safe alternative. Whatever the case, patients of Laser Vision Correction Center of New Jersey can rest assured that when they undergo PRK at our practice, they are entrusting their precious vision to the most skilled of hands.

Are you a good candidate for PRK? To find out, please schedule your initial consultation at Laser Vision Correction Center of New Jersey today.

How Safe Is PRK?

While no surgical procedure is entirely without risk, PRK is one of the safest forms of surgery in all of medicine. Serious complications are extremely rare, which is why patients whose thinner corneas make them poor candidates for LASIK are often considered suitable candidates for PRK. Unlike LASIK, PRK does not require the creation of a flap in the outermost layer of the cornea in order to access the corneal tissue underneath. Rather, this outermost layer – the epithelium – is simply removed altogether.

What does this mean, exactly? In practical terms, it means that PRK patients experience a lengthier and potentially less comfortable healing period than LASIK patients, which is why many patients prefer LASIK if it is a viable option. The cells of the epithelium will regenerate over time, something that LASIK patients do not have to worry about. On the other hand, flap-related complications are the primary risk of LASIK surgery, which is why patients with thin corneas are often precluded from undergoing the procedure. Patients who undergo PRK circumvent the matter by not having to worry about a corneal flap whatsoever.

Ultimately, both PRK and LASIK are highly safe and effective with high rates of success when candidates are properly screened and the procedures are performed by skilled, experienced eye surgeons. At Laser Vision Correction Center of New Jersey, these two criteria are always met. This is why our PRK success rates consistently compare favorably with national averages.

Learn More about PRK Success Rates

To learn more about PRK success rates or to schedule your initial PRK consultation, please contact Laser Vision Correction Center of New Jersey today.