PRK vs. LASIK  Which Corrective Eye Surgery Is Right for You
                     PRK vs. LASIK : Which Corrective Eye Surgery Is Right for You?
PRK versus LASIK
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and Laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses (LASIK)  are both
laser eye surgeries, having the same intent to improve eyesight — though they are different. 
PRK is a type of laser refractive surgery in which the surface of the cornea is reshaped using an
excimer  laser.  This  procedure  is  used  correct  myopia  (nearsightedness),  hyperopia
(farsightedness), and astigmatism. 
PRK was the first type of laser eye surgery used for vision correction and has been around
longer than LASIK, but both are still widely used today.
PRK and LASIK are both used to adjust the cornea of your eye, but use different procedures to
help correct your vision by reshaping cornea tissue.
With PRK, the surgeon takes away the top layer of the cornea, known as the epithelium. These
lasers are further used to reshape the other layers of the cornea and fix any irregular curvature
in your eye.
With LASIK, the surgeon uses a tiny blade or lasers to create a small flap in your cornea using a
femtosecond laser. The surgeon then uses lasers to reshape the cornea by lifting up the flap.
Once the surgery is complete, the flap is lowered back down and the cornea repairs itself within
the few months.
How do these procedures differ?
 In PRK, anesthetic drops are given to the patient to numb the eye. This prevents pain
and discomfort during the procedure.  The surgeon then gently removes the surface
corneal cells (epithelium) and proceeds with an excimer laser to fix any irregularities in
the deeper corneal tissue layers. A special bandage- like contact lens is put on top of the
cornea to help the tissues beneath heal.
 In LASIK, drops are given to numb your eye tissues. A small flap is cut into the epithelium
with a tool called a femtosecond laser. It allows moving this layer to the side while the
other layers are reshaped with lasers. As it remains attached, the epithelium can be put
back in its place to let it heal with the rest of the tissues after the surgery is done, rather
than being fully removed as it is in PRK.
PRK Recovery vs. LASIK Recovery
PRK recovery starts when a contact lens is placed on the treated eye. It needs to be worn for
the first 3 to 5 days until the surface epithelium is healed. It may cause some irritation and
sensitivity to light for a few days as your epithelium heals. Your doctor will  prescribe some
medications to help relieve pain or lubricating eye drops to keep your eye moist as it heals
 Your vision will be a little blurry until the bandage is removed for about a week but it gradually
improves.
With LASIK, you’ll probably see much more clearly than you could before, even without glasses
or contacts. You may even have perfect vision the day after your surgery.
You won’t feel much pain or discomfort as your eye heals but in some cases you may feel like
burning in the eyes for a few hours after the surgery. Following the procedure, you should be
fully recovered within a few days.
Though it  takes a bit  longer to recover from PRK than LASIK,  for  some patients PRK offers
advantages over LASIK.