Disclaimer

This website is only for basic information. It is not to be considered medical advice or a substitute for obtaining your own medical consultation, during which you will be informed also about possible risks, side effects and restrictions of refractive & cataract surgery. Not all treatment options are approved or offered in every country and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. This site is also not intended for patients and healthcare providers residing in the United States of America and Japan.

Potential risks

PRK side effects

Complications arising from eye surgery

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Like all laser vision correction, the PRK procedure comes with certain risks and side effects. Many side effects of laser vision correction are temporary and disappear after your eye has fully healed. However, it is important that you are aware of any complications that could occur from surgery so you can alert your eye doctor should you notice any of the conditions listed here.

Complications of PRK surgery

PRK side effects that you should look out for

Vision problems
As the PRK technique involves the use of laser on the surface of the cornea, corneal haze is one of the most significant complications of this surgery. It is a very rare condition that usually disappears naturally, within approximately a year. It can be reduced with some medication (eye drops).

Some people experience glares or halos (especially at night), blurry vision or ghosting (a characteristic of double vision). They are more common in the early post-operative period and gradually improve over the time in the majority of patients.

Dry eye
Dry, scratchy eyes are relatively common in the initial days after surgery. The situation gradually improves in the majority of the patients and is usually treated with artificial tears or other treatment options. As dry eye could cause discomfort and blurring, your eye doctor will assess you for dry eye syndrome before undergoing PRK vision correction.

Infection
There is a very small probability of developing an eye infection after PRK surgery. It is important to alert your doctor if your eye turns red, is painful or there is a loss of vision. Infections can be treated well if diagnosed early but can leave serious damage if they are not treated promptly.

Over- or undercorrection
In addition to the surgery side effects listed above, it should be stressed that not every person achieves complete improvement of the vision after PRK. Depending on your medical history and how your cornea heals, some small visual problems might remain meaning that you would still need glasses or contact lenses for certain situations. If your eyes are over- or undercorrected, then a follow-up surgery might be necessary to correct the remaining refractive error.

Alternatives to PRK

Introducing a minimally invasive procedure

Many patients are interested in PRK because it does not involve your ophthalmic surgeon creating a flap during the treatment, thereby avoiding flap-related side effects such as inflammation or dislocation. But there is a minimally invasive, flapless and bladeless procedure available that will quickly correct your eyesight – Lenticule Extraction with ZEISS SMILE. With ZEISS SMILE, your surgeon uses the latest femtosecond laser to separate a small piece of corneal tissue in around 30 seconds. They then remove this tissue through a small incision that’s ~ 4 mm wide, keeping the majority of the cornea intact. As a result, the nerves stimulating the tear glands are less impacted compared to procedures including a flap and help keep the eye lubricated - therefore side effects such as dry eye syndrome are normally rare after the Lenticule Extraction with ZEISS SMILE.

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To find out more about PRK and your personal suitability, don’t hesitate to talk to an eye doctor that offers PRK.

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