A new review of recent studies suggests two popular laser-assisted surgeries to correct nearsightedness are equally effective at restoring 20/20 vision six months to a year after the surgery.
LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) and PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) both use a laser to reshape the eye's cornea, which helps to focus incoming light, in people with nearsightedness.
According to experts, LASIK patients tend to recover their vision faster than PRK patients, which may be part of the reason their number has grown rapidly since the late 1990s.
LASIK patients also report less pain after surgery than PRK patients, although they tend to be more uncomfortable during the actual surgery, the researchers found.
Patients also might prefer these "side effects" associated with LASIK, but "none of the individual studies included in this review demonstrated a significant [vision] advantage for either treatment.
LASIK would be best for one patient and PRK would be best for another patient, it really depends on individual patient factors, such as the thickness of tissues in the eye and severity of the nearsightedness, said Melissa Bailey, Ph.D., an optometrist at the Ohio State University College of Optometry.
In their review of six high-quality studies comparing LASIK and PRK, experts found no significant difference in the number of eyes regaining 20/20 "perfect" vision six to 12 months after each type of surgery, regardless of how severe the nearsightedness was before surgery. The studies involved a total of 417 eyes, 201 treated with PRK and 216 treated with LASIK, with some participants having surgery only on one eye, or some having each eye treated with the different procedures.
It is important that patients are informed about and understand the effectiveness, limitations, safety, complications and relative merits of these procedures.
Link [www.news-medical.net/?id=17441]
Filed under Conductive Keratoplasty, Eye Treatment, Lasik Eye Surgery | Tags: College, eye, laser, Lasik | 1 Comment
Related?
LASIK or Photorefractive Keratectomy Which Will be Best for You?February 2nd, 2007 Q. I had RK surgery about ten years ago; four slits on each eye. About three years ago, it went south and I now am wearing glasses again.
Photorefractive Keratectomy: Laser Eye Surgery Alternative Gains ProminanceSeptember 18th, 2007 Photorefractive Keratectomy, an alternative LASIK has shown better result in the case of Cindy Duong, who was suffering from nearsightedness. Cindy Duong went to see her doctor for LASIK, however her doctor said to her that the cornea in her left eye was too thin to both cut the flap and contour her cornea, as LASIK (short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) surgery requires.
Common Most Eye Problems are Refractive Disorders Myopia and HyperopiaSeptember 14th, 2006 Approximately 14 million Americans over the age of 12 suffer from visual impairment, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The most common forms are the refractive disorders myopia and hyperopia.
U.S. Air Force Changed the Policy to Permit Lasik Surgery June 1st, 2007 U.S. Air Force now allowing Lasik. Air Force officials have changed the policy to allow people applying for aviation and aviation-related jobs to have had LASIK surgery.
Ophthalmological Clinics are Offering Advance Procedure in Eye Care February 2nd, 2007 Eye specialty clinics in the city are offering new procedures and products to treat eye ailments. St. John’s Clinic Eye Specialists recently upgraded its laser vision correction equipment.
New Laser for LASIK Eye Surgery SuccessfulNovember 23rd, 2007 LASIK eye surgery is typically carried out with Excimer laser. Excimer lasers are extremely precise, but they are also costly and expensive to maintain, which primarily accounts for the high cost of LASIK surgery.
What Is Refractive Eye Surgery?March 24th, 2006 Refractive eye surgery is a type of eye surgery that is used to rectify refractive errors of the eye and decrease dependency on corrective lenses such as eyeglasses and contact lenses. Successful refractive procedures can reduce myopia or nearsightedness, hyperopia or farsightedness, and astigmatism or elongated corneas.
Eye Surgery Revolutionizes US Military Careers and LifeJune 23rd, 2006 Aging fighter pilots can now remain in the cockpit longer, reducing annual recruiting needs. And recruits whose bad vision once would have disqualified them from the special forces are now eligible, making the competition for these coveted slots even tougher.
April 20th, 2006 at 11:24 am
Interesting article I knew that patients recovered more quickly with LASIK but did not realize that PRK gave similar results after healing. They always make it sound like LASIK gives the best results but I guess that is just a sales pitch.
March 17th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
bonjour, on parle beaucoup du lasik en Tunisie o� les prix seraient moins �lev�s. Pourriez-vous me dire ce que vous en pensez ? les techniques sont elles les memes ? Y a t il plus de risques qu’en France , merci