After Your PRK Procedure When you sit up in the laser suite after the treatment, you will immediately notice an improvement in your vision. You will be able to return home after roughly 20 minutes of sitting with your eyes closed and a final check of your eyes from your surgeon. You’ll leave Dr. Kornmehl’s office… Read the full article
Category: IntraLase
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) (Pt. 3)
Your PRK Procedure On the day of your PRK procedure, make sure that you eat lightly in the morning. You’ll also want to avoid wearing eye makeup, facial moisturizer and any cumbersome hair accessories that could interfere with your surgeon’s ability to position your head as needed during the procedure. Also, make sure you wear comfortable… Read the full article
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) (Pt. 2)
Who Is Not a Candidate for PRK? If you have herpes simplex of the eye, you cannot undergo the procedure during an active breakout. Some doctors will do PRK if you go 6 months without a recurrence of herpes. In this case, you will need prophylactic medications before and after the procedure to minimize the… Read the full article
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) (Pt. 1)
Although you may not be a candidate for LASIK, the most popular refractive procedure performed today, you may be a candidate for a procedure known as photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK. This procedure delivers the same visual outcomes as LASIK and has dramatically improved the vision of millions of patients unable to undergo the LASIK procedure…. Read the full article
Risks and Complications with LASIK (Pt. 8)
Corneal Ectasia Corneal ectasia is a disorder that appears just like keratoconus but develops after LASIK. It is also called secondary keratoconus oriatrogenic keratoconus. It is very rare, and its causes are uncertain. Some patients who develop ectasia after LASIK would have developed keratoconus even without LASIK surgery because of their genetic predisposition. Other patients develop it because… Read the full article
Risks and Complications with LASIK (Pt. 7)
Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis This condition, diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK)- also known as “sands of the Sahara” syndrome- is an inflammation that occurs in the space between the corneal flap and the underlying stroma. This relatively rare condition is typically observed by the doctor the day after surgery. You may have no symptoms, or you may notice some haziness… Read the full article
Risks and Complications with LASIK (Pt. 6)
Striae Sometimes the corneal flap may shift slightly in the first 12 hours after LASIK surgery. This is why it is important, especially during the first few hours, not to rub your eyes and keep them well lubricated. If the flap shifts slightly, wrinkles form, just as wrinkles form in a carpet if you step… Read the full article
Risks and Complications with LASIK (Pt. 5)
Problems with Quality of Vision A small number of patients experience a slight loss of quality of vision after LASIK surgery. This is also called loss of best-corrected vision. Loss of best-corrected vision means that, even with eyeglasses, a patient loses some of the visual crispness and clarity he had when wearing eyeglasses prior to surgery. The… Read the full article
Risks and Complications with LASIK (Pt. 4)
Night Glare and Halos All people, whether or not they have had LASIK, experience some glare or halos at night. These night-vision disturbances occur when you are in a dark environment and look at a small bright light, such as a headlight or streetlight. Halo is the glow that surrounds the light source, and glare is little spikes of… Read the full article
Risks and Complications with LASIK (Pt. 3)
Corneal Abrasion Approximately 1 to 5 percent of LASIK patients develop a smallcorneal abrasion, or scrape, caused by friction of the microkeratome. The eye is covered by a thin layer of skin, called the epithelium. This skin is just like the skin on your hand except that it is clear so you can see through… Read the full article