Dr Raymond Stein MD Toronto Eye Surgeon

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when considering laser vision correction? For most people, it’s LASIK. However, a lesser-known refractive surgery, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK,) is another highly effective procedure that can give you the same long-term results.  

While both procedures reshape the cornea to correct vision, PRK may be a better option for certain patients. 

When it comes to refractive surgery, one ophthalmology practice reigns supreme in the Toronto area: Bochner Eye Institute, with a 95-year history of eye care excellence.  

Our medical director, Dr. Raymond Stein, has performed over 200,000 successful eye surgeries, including alternatives like PRK for patients who may not be good candidates for LASIK. He leads our team of renowned ophthalmologists in providing the most advanced options in refractive surgery. 

Understanding PRK 

PRK is a laser eye surgery in which your surgeon reshapes the cornea (the clear covering of the eye.) Correcting the cornea shape changes how it bends light, translating into better focus.  

PRK can correct myopia (nearsightedness,) hyperopia (farsightedness,) and astigmatism (blurriness.)  

For this procedure, your surgeon removes the epithelium — the cornea’s thin outer layer — to reach the corneal tissue beneath. Our surgeons use a state-of-the-art excimer laser to reshape the cornea, correcting refractive errors precisely.  

After the laser treatment, your surgeon applies a “bandage” to the cornea: A special contact lens that protects your eye while the epithelium naturally regenerates.  

You’ll wear the bandage for around five days, and it’s normal to have some visual blurriness and mild discomfort during this time. However, vision steadily improves as the epithelium fully regrows. Most patients achieve peak vision correction within a few months.  

Although PRK requires a slightly longer recovery time than LASIK, the final vision correction results are just as effective. Many patients achieve 20/20 vision or better once healing is complete! 

PRK vs. LASIK: Key Differences 

• No Corneal Flap: With LASIK, your surgeon creates a flap (an opening in the cornea) to access the tissue. With PRK, there’s no flap needed because your surgeon removes the epithelium. For this reason, PRK may be safer for people with thin corneas. 

• Longer Recovery: Because the epithelium must regrow, healing takes slightly longer than LASIK. With LASIK, patients may drive in 24 hours, but with PRK, you must wait to resume driving until your surgeon removes your bandage contacts. 

• Same Results: LASIK and PRK provide clear, lasting vision once healing is complete. 

Who is a Good Candidate for PRK? 

Your ophthalmologist at Bochner Eye Institute evaluates your vision, eye health, and medical history to determine if PRK is the right option for you. Typically, candidates have qualifying conditions like thin corneas, dry eyes, or irregularly shaped corneas. 

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) helps thousands of Canadians reduce or even eliminate their dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses annually. At Bochner Eye Institute in Toronto, ON, we’ve provided exceptional eye care since 1929, earning a reputation as one of Canada’s most renowned eye care clinics.  

As Toronto’s top choice for laser vision correction, we’re proud to offer LASIK using the most advanced minimally invasive techniques. If you wish you could put the glasses or contacts in the past, LASIK could be right for you. But you may wonder which refractive errors it can treat and how it can benefit your vision. This blog explains how LASIK can help with three common refractive errors.  

Common Refractive Errors LASIK Can Treat 

LASIK is effective in treating: 

• Nearsightedness (Myopia): Nearsightedness, the most common refractive error, happens when objects in the distance appear blurry while close objects are clear. It develops because light doesn’t properly focus on the light-sensing cells in the back of the eye (the retina.) LASIK reshapes the cornea to correct the focal point, improving distance vision. 

• Farsightedness (Hyperopia): The opposite of myopia, hyperopia makes close-up objects appear blurry, while distant objects are sharper. It happens when light lands behind the retina instead of on it. LASIK can help with farsightedness by adjusting the cornea to focus light more directly onto the retina, improving close-up vision. 

• Corneal Astigmatism: Astigmatism is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea, causing blurry vision at all distances. LASIK can smooth the cornea to restore proper light focus, correcting the distortion.  

Most patients with the above refractive errors can qualify for LASIK. However, patients with severe or unusual refractive errors aren’t typically good candidates for LASIK.  

For example, patients with lenticular astigmatism can’t have LASIK because that type of astigmatism affects the lens, not the cornea. Patients with myopia greater than 10 diopters or hyperopia less than five diopters aren’t typically good LASIK candidates. However, our esteemed specialists can often recommend another path to vision correction in these cases.  

How LASIK Works 

Our renowned ophthalmologists use two leading-edge lasers to perform LASIK surgery: First, the IntraLase iFS Advanced Femtosecond Laser to create access to the cornea. Then, the WaveLight® EX500 Excimer Laser to precisely reshape the cornea. It’s the fastest and most efficient laser for vision correction and can also improve visual contrast, sharpness, and depth perception.  

The procedure is quick, typically taking about 15 minutes per eye, with minimal discomfort. Most patients experience significant improvements in vision shortly afterward and can resume their normal activities within a day or two. 

LASIK Consultations in Toronto 

As recognized industry leaders in LASIK treatment, Bochner Eye Institute strives to give every patient the best results through state-of-the-art technology and personalized approaches.   

Our extensive experience and high success rate make us the trusted choice for LASIK in Toronto. 

Call 416-960-2020 in Toronto to schedule your LASIK consultation today.