A Historical Look At PRK

Vision difficulties are a common occurrence, so much so that everyone either knows someone who has them or they themselves experience vision difficulties. Whether it’s astigmatism, nearsightedness (myopia), or farsightedness (hyperopia), people’s quality of life is severely hampered by their inability to see clearly. Luckily, there’s a procedure called PRK, or photoreactive keratectomy, that can help. PRK exists as an excellent solution to treat individuals with vision problems, in particular those who cannot undergo the more popular sister option called LASIK. Beverly Hills Medical Center of Kuwait’s (BHMC) lead Kuwait ophthalmologist, Ghassan Zein, MD performs a number of vision corrective procedures that include PRK. 

PRK, like LASIK, is a corrective vision procedure that uses a laser to reshape a patient’s cornea to a specific prescription by removing miniscule portions. PRK and LASIK are different in that the former brushes the epithelium (outer cornea) away to expose the inner cornea, while the latter creates a circular flap. PRK allows for the epithelium to heal naturally (3 to 7 day recovery time) as opposed to LASIK that places the flap back in place (1 to 3 day recovery time). The Kuwait eye doctor’s at BHMC specialize in utilizing the most up-to-date and painless procedures possible to treat their patients. PRK procedures take about 10 minutes per eye and then a clear contact lens is applied to the eye in order to protect it and ensure that it properly heals.

The History of PRK

PRK has a long history that dates back to the end of the 19^th century, when in 1896 radial keratotomy (RK) was first introduced as corrective eye procedure to treat myopia. Radial incisions were made in the eye on the cornea’s surface to flatten it. Unfortunately, the procedure’s results were highly unpredictable, however this was one of the first steps in treating vision problems with surgery.

There was a massive leap forward in 1990 when automated lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) was created. This was the predecessor to LASIK, but also played a huge role in the overall trajectory of laser corrective vision procedures. Unlike RK, which required radial incisions in the cornea, a small flap was created. This was pulled back to expose the inner cornea and then small pieces were removed. The flap was then put back in place and then would heal naturally. This was an improvement from RK, but still resulted had a number of negative side effects.

Finally, in 1995 PRK was invented when the first excimer laser was used, instead of a blade, to remove small portions of corneal tissue to reshape the cornea. It took 15 years for the excimer laser to be approved by the FDA to be used on humans and was also the first time that a flap wasn’t cut into the outer cornea.

Book An Appointment With An Expert Kuwait Eye Doctor

Dr. Zein is an experienced Kuwait ophthalmologist who has worked with thousands of patients to improve their eyesight with PRK and LASIK. He specializes in helping people see and improve their quality of life. If you or someone you know is interested in booking an appointment with Dr. Zein, please don’t hesitate to call his office at +(965)-222-89999.