PRK in San Antonio, TX

For those who do not qualify for LASIK, Dr. Kristin Held recognizes the frustration it can cause. Because of this, she proudly offers safe and effective photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). PRK was the pioneering version of laser refractive surgery and has provided 20/20 vision or even better to millions of patients across the world. Used for several years before LASIK, ophthalmologists regularly performed PRK without any issues. Luckily, ophthalmologists still perform PRK procedures, especially for patients who don't have enough corneal tissue for LASIK. PRK and other laser eye surgery techniques can treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, so you don't have to depend on contacts or eyeglasses. However, we complete PRK a little differently, and it requires a longer healing process. PRK provides results that can match or even exceed those of other laser refractive techniques. PRK is also useful to enhance vision that has changed years after prior LASIK, PRK, or cataract surgery. To see if you're a good candidate for PRK, please reach out to our team at Eye Surgeon Direct for a comprehensive consultation.

PRK can help patients who:

• Are at least 18 years of age
• Do not qualify for LASIK
• Experience certain eye disorders
• Have an increased chance for eye injury because of working conditions or active lifestyles

Taking about 15 minutes to complete, Dr. Held numbs the eye with drops, places an eye speculum to prevent movement, removes your outer-most eye layer (epithelium), and treats the curve of your cornea. After the treatment, patients will need to wear a contact lens that protects the eye. You will need to wear the protective lens while the epithelial tissue regrows for about 5 days. Following the surgery, we schedule follow-up appointments to assess your healing and progress. Compared to LASIK, PRK does require a longer recovery time because we remove the epithelium. At first, you will have some discomfort that we can help you manage with personalized aftercare instructions. Within about 7 – 10 days, patients can go back to their jobs and driving and experience their ultimate vision correction in about 4 – 12 weeks.

Because it was the initial laser vision correction method developed, PRK has enabled many patients to achieve clearer vision for over two decades. For patients who previously could not undergo LASIK, we offer PRK as an excellent treatment alternative for their needs. At Eye Surgeon Direct, our expert team has successfully delivered 20/20 eyesight to many San Antonio, TX patients. Please call us to schedule a consultation so Dr. Kristin Held can determine whether PRK works best for you.