What are the pros and cons of LASIK vs. PRK?
LASIK usually provides a much quicker recovery of vision to an excellent level usually within 12-24 hours in most cases. Many patients have 20/20 or better vision the day after LASIK. PRK may take 5-14 days to accomplish the same level of vision. In the long term both procedures result in similar excellent vision, but PRK is not as effective in traeting higher degrees of nearsightedness. LASIK usually causes no pain or discomfort at all, but a very small percentage of people will have very mild scratchiness, tearing and light sensitivity for 12-24 hours. PRK may cause moderate to severe pain and discomfort for 24-48 hours only. LASIK also works better for higher degrees of nearsightedness, resulting in less chance of haziness or scarring of the cornea. LASIK has a 6 year track record whereas PRK has demonstrated its safety after almost a decade of use internationally. LASIK requires creating a corneal flap with a microkeratome device prior to actually lasering the cornea. This step is
