PRK Eye Surgery

All-Laser Vision Correction

SharpeVision is bringing custom all-Laser PRK paired with the most modern technology and techniques to everyone.

Custom Vision Correction

Welcome to the future of PRK surgery

Is PRK right for you? PRK stands for “Photo-refractive Keratectomy” and is another laser technique with results identical to LASIK. We recommend PRK for about 10% of our patients due to a variety of medical, lifestyle, and vocational reasons. And because we utilize the latest techniques and technology, we’re able to treat many patients who weren’t candidates in the past. So if you’ve been told that you aren’t a candidate for PRK, you very likely could be now at SharpeVision.

Performance

Dr. Sharpe founded SharpeVision MODERN LASIK in 2012 after 16 years of practice and performing over 80,000 LASIK procedures. He took the best of everything he’d observed, not just in medicine but in every consumer interaction he had, and translated it into a medical experience unlike any you have ever had. He only uses the newest laser technology, paired with highly trained optometrists and support team to deliver the best possible results.

Personalization

As part of your comprehensive consultation, we’ll perform multiple diagnostic measurements, including 3-D measurements of the shape and thickness of your cornea, your prescription, and glaucoma check (no air puff!) to ensure that your eyes are otherwise healthy. Our doctors will evaluate and discuss all the data with you to develop a custom laser vision correction plan that is perfect for your unique eyes.

Precision

SharpeVision only performs all-laser PRK. Prior to the 2000’s, the only option for vision correction surgery was RK: Where the surgeon made cuts in the cornea with a diamond knife to reduce nearsightedness. Fast forward to today, and an extremely precise Femtosecond laser is available to shape the cornea (PRK) and allows for a faster, safer, and more comfortable procedure and is a large step forward in technology. It is the ONLY way we do PRK at SharpeVision, because it is the very best for your eyes.

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Your First Consultation is Completely Free

our patients are millennials

Candidate Quiz

Are you eligible?

Only a small group of people-about 10%-who meet the age and general health requirements are good candidates for the PRK surgery procedure. There are some conditions that exclude certain patients. Take the quiz to see if PRK is right for you.

PRK eye surgery

FAQs

You have Questions. We have Answers.

No, the laser can’t burn a hole in your eye. But it’s a good question. Find the answers to our most frequently asked questions at SharpeVision. Some of them may surprise you!

  • What can disqualify you from LASIK or PRK?

    One of the things that sets SharpeVision apart is that we have every technology available to get you out of glasses, so we don’t have to shoehorn you into a procedure that might not be the best fit for you. The biggest two factors that affect the procedure recommendation and outcomes are: age and amount of prescription. Also important is your anatomy and eye health.

    Your age is important, because our eyes go through different stages:

    • Age 0-18: our eyes are growing, our visual pathway is developing, our refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism) is changing, and therefore glasses, contacts, and myopia control methods are the best way to maintain your vision. We do not perform surgery on anyone under 18.
    • Age 18-45: ocular maturity occurs in this phase when as an adult, your prescription will stabilize. Most people have a misconception about stability, and confuse normal small fluctuations from day to day with a change in their prescription. Sometimes they believe their nearsightedness has gotten better, when they were over prescribed for the amount of nearsightedness they have. This is typically when LASIK or PRK is recommended, if your cornea and prescription safely allow it.
    • Early Dysfunctional Lens Age 45-65: the clear flexible lens in our eye becomes less and less flexible until we’re in our mid-50s when it’s completely rigid. When we’re in our mid-40s, the loss of flexibility forces us to realize that we’re no longer 25 years old, and we can’t have it both ways. We can’t have good distance and near vision in both eyes. We need either distance glasses, near glasses, or both (bifocal glasses or multifocal contacts) At this age we may still recommend LASIK or PRK, but reading glasses and monovision are discussed and demonstrated.
    • Late Dysfunctional Lens Age 65+: our lens first becomes less flexible which is noticed in our mid 40s (give or take a couple years), then it becomes less clear, which we notice in our mid 60s (give or take a decade).  The early symptoms are glare from oncoming headlights, rings around lights, and asymmetric blurry vision. At some point on this spectrum we decide to have cataract surgery. LASIK is not recommended if you have developing cataracts.

    Your prescription amount (degree of nearsightedness) is important for several reasons. The higher the degree of nearsightedness, the more tissue LASIK and PRK removes from your cornea, and each person has a slightly different amount, and limit. At SharpeVision we measure the thickness of your cornea with both sound and light to get a highly accurate measure. LASIK removes tissue from beneath the laser created flap. PRK removes tissue from the surface of your cornea.

    Your ocular anatomy is important, in that some people are not LASIK candidates due to the shape and thickness of their cornea. If your cornea has signs of instability, or is too thin, we don’t operate on it.  Some people can safely due PRK but not LASIK due to these same factors. Anatomy is also important when considering an Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) because you need adequate room between your natural lens and the back of your cornea to allow an ICL to be implanted.

    Your eye health must be excellent to safely perform vision correction surgery. This is a big part of why we perform a free comprehensive exam at SharpeVision.

    At SharpeVision, we offer LASIK, PRK, ICL, and IOL. The recommendation depends on your age, prescription amount, anatomy, and other factors. We spend a lot of time making sure you know the what, the why, and the pros and cons of our recommendation.

  • How safe is laser eye surgery?

    Of course there are risks associated with every kind of surgery, and laser vision correction is no exception. To put it in perspective, however, the risk of laser vision correction is significantly less than the risks of wearing contact lenses. Yes, you read that correctly. The conclusion of a 2016 article from the academic journal Ophthalmology stated: “Compared with contact lens wear, current LASIK technology improved ease of night driving, did not significantly increase dry eye symptoms, and resulted in higher levels of satisfaction at 1, 2, and 3 years follow-up.” Price MO et al. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(8):1659-1666.

  • Can your eyesight get worse after laser eye surgery?

    If your vision is worse after LASIK or PRK than it was before with glasses or contacts, it’s almost always due to dry eyes or residual prescription. Both of these are fixable with time (for dry eyes which is almost always the cause of foggy vision for a month or more after LASIK) or with additional laser to touch it up (which is necessary approximately 1% of the time and free for the first year after surgery).

  • Which insurance plans cover some or all of the cost of laser eye surgery?

    Most insurance/vision plans do not pay towards LASIK or PRK, but we do honor the discount from EyeMed, VSP, and Davis, so that if you’re a member, your out of pocket expense will be the same. Always check with your insurance carrier or health benefits administrator before coming in for your exam. A few forward-thinking companies are currently paying for some or all of their employees’ LASIK, PRK, and ICL including The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Adaptive Biotech, and Zillow in Seattle.

     

All FAQs

What to Expect

MODERN PRK: Start to Finish

Comprehensive Exam

A comprehensive, dilated examination is the only way to know which vision-correction procedure is best for you. We do this at no charge because we believe so strongly in giving patients all the information necessary to make the right treatment choice. While your exam involves comprehensive diagnostic testing, it is also our opportunity to learn more about you, your expectations, and your lifestyle. All of these factors play an important role in recommending the best procedure for you:

The complete exam can take up to 90 minutes. After all the data is collected, our doctor will examine you, discuss the treatment recommendation, and answer any questions you have. Your visit will include dilation of your pupils, which will affect your eyesight for about 4-6 hours, as you may have experienced with a routine eye exam.

PRK Alternatives

What if I Don’t Qualify?

A very small percentage of patients qualify for PRK, which means that if you don’t, the good news is that you probably qualify for LASIK! You can get rid of your glasses and contacts with alternative laser vision correction techniques.

LASIK

A safe and effective option for people who aren’t candidates for PRK.

Monovision

Involves one eye corrected for distance vision and the other corrected for near vision.

Implantable Contact Lenses

Micro-thin lenses placed inside the eye to correct a variety of vision problems.

Refractive Lens Exchange

Exchange your high prescription lens with a new 20/20 lens.

Cataract Removal Surgery

Laser-asssisted removal of a cloudy lens that’s replaced with a new lens. See like you did when you were young.

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PRK Eye surgery

PRK & LASIK MYTHS DEBUNKED

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