LASIK vs PRK – What is the difference?

In an interview, Dr Christoph Kranemann speaks about the vision correction procedures LASIK and PRK and what makes them different.

Christoph Kranemann: The popularity vote has won out for many years for LASIK over PRK.

But, PRK still has a role to play out there. In some patients, PRK is still potentially the best way to go.

PRK can be utilised using a complete no-touch approach where nothing touches the eye at all. There are some patients for whom that’s just the right way to go.

However, PRK has a significantly longer healing period and a somewhat higher chance to lose effectiveness over time.

LASIK in contrast – because we perform it under the flap – is minimally disturbing the surface of the eye (the epithelium). This results in a much faster recovery, more long-term stability and allows for certain things that are more difficult to achieve because of minute manipulations of the corneal shape.

Like PRESBYOND, it works much better when done with LASIK than with PRK.