Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK) using the all-surface laser ablation (ASLA)-SCHWIND system appears successful and safe for minimal and extreme myopia, according to research.
TransPRK is as successful at repairing your eyesight as LASIK (it uses the same excimer laser). An essential explanation for opting for transPRK is that treatment results in a thicker cornea. It all comes down to safety. TransPRK is also less risky than LASIK surgery.
Trans-PRK was invented in the early 1990s and has been recognized for use in the United States by the FDA since 1996. The treatment is done outpatient and requires about thirty minutes to finish. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASIK) are other terms for trans-PRK (LASEK).
What is TransPRK?
TransPRK is a no-contact laser vision correction technique that uses a customized (excimer) laser to precisely remove the corneal skin layer and reshape the imaging methods of the cornea beneath.
The primary distinction between TransPRK and PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) is how the corneal epithelium is removed. TransPRK employs a laser to eliminate the epithelium, whereas PRK uses alcohol.
The operation and the physical alterations to your cornea to improve your eyesight are permanent, meaning they will not go out after months or years of downtime. Nonetheless, there are occasions when an eye or laser vision doctor may advise patients to undergo a second PRK procedure.
What can PRK fix or treat?
PRK can correct short/near-sightedness (myopia), near/long-sightedness (hyperopia), literary vision (presbyopia), and astigmatism using modern optical techniques. If you’re over 50, though, severe prescribing of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism may be better managed with surgically implanted Lens Care Therapy or Refractive Lens Exchange.
Is PRK a painful procedure?
No, it is not difficult because both eyes are numbed with anesthetic eye drops. However, the eyes may be uncomfortable for 2-3 days after the treatment as the outer layer of the eye, known as the epithelium, recovers. Patients will be given medications and drop to relieve the pain.
Expectations for TransPRK Restoration
Initial Stage
Immediately following surgery, the patient’s vision will be hazy, and they will be given a one-week MC to recover at home before returning to work.
TransPRK patients will noticeably improve their vision shortly following surgery. But, their eyesight will become fuzzier in the next few days as the surface cells of their eyes repair. For most patients, this fuzz should fade after about a week once cells fully recover. Although sight will be clear enough to resume work, studying small print for a long time may be difficult during the first week after surgery.
Patients must adhere to a tight schedule for applying eye drops. TransPRK needs four different types of eye drops to be given numerous times daily for at least one week. The quantity and regularity of eye drops will be reduced (eye drops use can remain for a maximum of three months or longer, dependent on how the patient’s eyes heal).
Complete Visual Recovery
After the initial recovery phase, when patients’ eyes have recovered after surgery and have returned to work, the slow and steady journey to full visual recovery might take anywhere between a few weeks to just a few months. The quality of vision may change daily during this phase of recovery, but it will gradually improve over time. Our advice to patients is to avoid equating visual clarity with how your eyes heal. Clear vision does not indicate you are entirely healed and may stop following post-op care guidelines, and blurred vision does not suggest your eyes aren’t healing well.
Problems are uncommon but cannot be ruled out. The tools and knowledge required to realize our patients’ objective of clear eyesight. Patients’ dedication and care during the healing process, on the other hand, play a significant part in achieving the ideal visual outcome – 95% of sick people will acquire 20/20 vision as soon as they:
- Administer the eye drop drugs in the order and schedule specified.
- Apply lubricating eye drops as needed.
- For one month, use UV-protected sunglasses whenever you are exposed to sunshine.
- Proper hygiene, keep dust and dirt out of your eyes and don’t massage them, especially during the early recovery phase.
- Get ample rest and avoid straining your eyes while working; more eye contact breaks will be required.
Why is Trans PRK Surgery superior to LASIK?
A corneal flap is sliced with a microkeratome or femtoseconds laser throughout a LASIK surgery, revealing the target tissue beneath and into the skilled hands of your eye surgeon – the cornea is sculpted and repaired first before the flap is restored and the epithelial layer is re-established.
The outcomes of LASIK and PRK are similar, albeit the former differs in epithelial treatment. Rather than waiting for a fresh outer layer to develop, LASIK lifts and restores the epithelial layer after the treatment.
Trans PRK and LASIK are tightly connected; while both have advantages and disadvantages, neither is superior to the other; Trans PRK and LASIK produce consistently equivalent results. Unlike LASIK, however, Trans PRK enables eye experts to access the entire cornea rather than working inside a zone defined by the pre-cut flap. Individuals with thin corneas or previously had LASIK gain the most with Trans PRK.
PRK advantages involve:
- long-term vision benefits
- It’s a one-time process, but it’s quite effective!
- Cutting-edge laser technology and life-changing outcomes
- LASIK is less complicated.
How does PRK work?
Except for LASIK, PRK does not create a flap. Rather, a laser is utilized to shape the cornea by removing the inside of the cornea, known as the stroma. This is frequently paired with a laser to destroy the cornea’s surface layer, known as the epithelium. This dual use of a laser to eliminate the epithelium accompanied by stroma resurfacing is known as trans-PRK. It is frequently referred to as the non-touch procedure for laser vision correction. The eye is then fitted with a bandage contact lens, which would be withdrawn after 4-7 days. The eyes are held open during the procedure because of specially constructed clamps.
LASEK is a technique similar to PRK in that the surface layer of the cornea, known as the epithelium, is carefully removed, frequently using specially prepared alcohol.
