PRK, or Photorefractive Keratectomy, is an outpatient surgical procedure that takes about 10 minutes and requires only anesthetic eye drops. PRK reshapes the corneal surface to correct the refractive error, improving vision by focusing light rays more directly on the retina. The initial healing period is about 48 hours, when the eye may be sensitive to light, irritated, or mildly uncomfortable.

AK, or Astigmatic Keratotomy, is performed to make the cornea more spherical. The surgeon makes short, curved incisions in the periphery of the cornea in the quadrant where the steepest curvature occurs. These incisions "relax" the cornea in the steep quadrant, allowing the cornea to flatten and assume the curvature of the flatter quadrant. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, takes less than 10 minutes, and takes only a few days before people can return to normal activity.

Our surgeons use the newest techniques that are of proven safety and effectiveness. Your physician will be happy to discuss intra-corneal rings, laser thermokeratoplasty and the intra-ocular contact lens (ICL) and the appropriate application of these procedures. Eye-tracking technology and wavefront ablation are available to patients under appropriate circumstances.