Starting with laser eye surgery research in the 1970s, the actual practice of laser eye surgery on patients has been around since 1988 when surgeon Marguerite Macdonald performed the first-ever Photorefractive Keratectomy or PRK surgery on a woman with a damaged eye. The results of many PRK surgeries in the early 1990s led to the development of LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) and ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) procedures that continue to this day. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the differences between these three surgeries and hopefully figure out which path is ideal for you.
ICL
ICL eye surgery involves creating an incision between the iris and natural lens and implanting a corrective lens. This tiny incision does not require any stitches to heal up. The pre-operation and post-operation care for this surgery take about two hours for each, making it one of the lengthier procedures. Healing is relatively simple, and you can expect to be back to your normal self, with better eyesight obviously, in approximately two days. These new lenses are removable meaning the process is reversible if complications arise.
PRK
During the PRK procedure, your doctor will remove the top layer of corneal tissue before taking an excimer laser to fix deeper corneal tissue shape irregularities. A contact lens-like bandage is placed on top of the newly molded cornea in order to help it heal and grow into the new fixed place. Since you are not inserting anything into the eye and are physically reshaping the cornea, this procedure is not reversible. The surgical process lasts only about 15 minutes after which you will wake up from a sedative your doctor has given you to relax.
LASIK
The most common eye surgery, LASIK begins with your doctor cutting a small flap on the top layer of the corneal tissue using something called a femtosecond laser. This upper layer is moved to the side while the surgeon works on reshaping the cornea with the excimer laser, similar to the process in PRK. Unlike PRK, however, the top layer is placed back on top of the eye, allowing it to heal with the rest of the eye.
Which Is Right for You?
Now that you have seen how each is different, you’ll want to determine which one is right for you. When considering which surgery is right for you, you and your doctor should be acutely aware of your previous medical history. One of the most common reasons why some patients choose ICL over LASIK is a result of not being good candidates for LASIK that is the result of a two-hour dilated eye exam. If you are a patient with astigmatism, then your options are reduced to LASIK and PRK because ICL procedures do not cater to toric lenses (although this is being changed due to a new Visian ICL procedure).
On top of your physical attributes, you’ll also want to take into consideration your risk tolerance even though laser eye surgery is one of the most patient-friendly surgeries out there.
Hopefully, this article has shed some light on the differences between these three surgical procedures. No matter which path you decide on, make sure to consult closely with your physician before choosing an operation that will change your life.