Exceptional Refractive Surgery in Cranberry Township and Pittsburgh
In order to provide the most comprehensive care, the physicians at InSight LASIK offer solutions for a range of vision problems. Not every individual is a good candidate for LASIK, and LASIK is not appropriate for every vision problem. PRK refractive surgery at our Pittsburgh-area surgery center in Cranberry Township is one of several effective alternatives to custom wavefront LASIK. In addition, cataract sufferers can benefit from the latest in intraocular lens technology at our Cranberry Township facility. Whatever your particular vision problem, InSight LASIK is likely to have an effective treatment to suit your needs.
PRK
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a refractive surgery performed at our Cranberry Township facility near Pittsburgh. PRK was the earliest form of advanced laser vision correction, and is quite similar to LASIK. Like LASIK, it utilizes the excimer laser to reshape the surface of the cornea by removing small amounts of corneal tissue.
PRK Process
Unlike LASIK, PRK is an advanced surface ablation procedure that does not require the surgeon to create a corneal flap. Instead, the surgeon uses a dilute alcohol solution to remove the thin layer of outer corneal cells known as the epithelium. With the excimer laser, the surgeon then removes a small amount of the surface corneal tissue to reshape the cornea and correct the refractive error. After the procedure, a clear "bandage contact lens" is placed over the cornea to protect it as the epithelium regrows.
The entire procedure takes only a few minutes per eye.
After PRK
Though both LASIK and PRK are painless procedures, PRK does involve some discomfort during the healing process, which can take between three and five days. Additionally, while LASIK patients often experience clear vision immediately following the procedure, those who receive PRK require more time, sometimes up to several weeks, before they experience similar improvement in their vision. In the end, both PRK and LASIK offer the possibility of dramatic vision improvement.
Benefits of PRK
Adequate corneal thickness is essential to the success of LASIK. If the cornea does not have the proper thickness, the risk of complications arising from the creation of the corneal flap is increased. Since PRK does not require the creation of a corneal flap, it represents an effective alternative for individuals who are not ideal candidates for LASIK because of thin corneas.
Intraocular Lens Placement
Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgery in the United States. Statistics indicate that, by age 80, more than half of all Americans have been affected by cataracts. As an individual ages, the eye's natural lens, which is composed mostly of protein and water, can become clouded. This clouding can prevent images from being clearly focused on the retina, making it increasingly difficult to see as more and more of the visual field becomes obscured.
To treat cataracts, the surgeon removes the clouded lens and replaces it with a clear, biocompatible intraocular lens (IOL). At our Cranberry Township facility, we offer a choice of intraocular lenses to suit patients' unique vision needs. The various intraocular lenses available on the market today have their own particular strengths and weaknesses. Your ophthalmologist can help you determine which lens best suits your needs. Currently, we offer the ReSTOR® and ReZoom™ multifocal intraocular lens at our Cranberry Township facility. These provide patients with the ability to achieve a range of vision that reduces or eliminates the dependence on glasses or contacts.
Clear Lens Extraction
Clear lens extraction is another form of refractive surgery performed at our Cranberry Township clinic near Pittsburgh. It is a procedure designed for individuals over 40 who are not suitable candidates for LASIK. Like cataract surgery, clear lens extraction involves the removal of the eye's natural lens. The surgeon replaces the natural lens with the intraocular lens best suited to the patient's vision needs.
Visian ICL™
Unlike an intraocular lens used in cataract surgery, the Visian ICL™ (Implantable Collamer® Lens) is inserted into the eye to augment the natural lens and improve vision in much the same fashion as a traditional contact lens. A less intensive procedure than clear lens extraction or intraocular lens placement, the insertion of the Visian ICL™ does not require the removal of the eye's natural lens.
Limbal Relaxing Incisions
For patients with astigmatism, limbal relaxing incisions are a safe and effective treatment for restoring vision clarity. The procedure is primarily performed in conjunction with cataract surgery to optimize intraocular lens performance in patients experiencing this common refractive error.
Learn More about Our Refractive Procedures
InSight LASIK provides patients with several options for vision correction with refractive surgery. PRK and intraocular lens placement at our Pittsburgh-area facility in Cranberry Township are two effective alternatives for individuals who are not ideal candidates for the LASIK procedure. To learn more about these and other procedures, contact InSight LASIK.
Contact InSightSM LASIK & Refractive Group to learn more about PRK refractive surgery, intraocular lens placement, and more at our Cranberry Township facility near Pittsburgh.
InSightSM LASIK & Refractive Group
105 Brandt Dr.
Cranberry Township, PA 16066
T: 724-772-9600
F: 724-772-5468