PRK and LASIK safe and effective

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Both LASIK and PRK can cure nearsightedness and are safe and effective, Spanish researchers said at a U.S. medical conference this week.

At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Las Vegas, Jorge Alio of the Universidad Miguel Hernandez in Alicante, Spain, presented findings from a 10-year study on 100 nearsighted patients, 50 of whom underwent a LASIK procedure and 50 of whom received PRK surgery.

They measured the ability to focus and visual distortions and found that patients had an average of 20/25 vision 10 years after their procedure.

"The basis for any eye correction surgery is to reshape the cornea so that it changes the focal point of the eye," said Alio. "Ideally, the focal point is changed so that it focuses perfectly on the retina."

The researchers said that both procedures use lasers, but PRK works directly on the outer surface of the cornea and LASIK works below it.

They found that PRK was more effective for people with mild nearsightedness, and LASIK worked slightly better for those whose nearsightedness was more severe.