When you’re trying to compete at your best, blurry or distorted vision from astigmatism can hold you back. Glasses fog up, slip during play, and limit your peripheral awareness. Contact lenses dry out, shift position, or fall out at the worst possible moments.
For athletes seeking vision correction, the choice between LASIK and PRK often comes down to one factor: safety during high-impact activity. More athletes with astigmatism are choosing PRK over LASIK because it reduces their risk of complications.
Keep reading to learn why PRK is becoming the preferred choice for athletes who want clear vision without compromising their performance or eye safety.
What is PRK, and How Does It Correct Astigmatism?
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a laser vision correction procedure that reshapes your cornea to correct refractive errors like astigmatism. When you have astigmatism, your cornea has an irregular shape, more like a football than a basketball. This prevents light from focusing properly on your retina, causing blurred or distorted vision.
During PRK, your eye surgeon gently removes the thin outer layer of the cornea called the epithelium. An excimer laser then precisely reshapes the corneal tissue underneath, creating a more spherical surface. This allows light to focus correctly on your retina, giving you clearer, sharper vision.
The key difference between PRK and LASIK is how your eye surgeon accesses the treatment area. LASIK involves creating a hinged flap in the cornea, lifting it, applying the laser, and repositioning the flap. This flap then acts as a natural bandage, promoting faster eye healing.
PRK skips the corneal flap entirely. The epithelium regenerates naturally within a few days to a week, and there’s no permanent flap that could be disturbed later.
Why PRK is Better for Athletes
The corneal flap created during LASIK has the potential to dislodge if you experience trauma to the eye, even years after your procedure. For athletes in contact sports such as boxing, martial arts, football, or basketball, this poses an ongoing risk. A hit to the face or eye area could shift the flap, requiring emergency treatment.
PRK eliminates this concern completely. Without a flap, your cornea heals into one solid piece of tissue. You can return to full-contact activities without worrying that eye injuries will compromise your vision correction results.
PRK offers several advantages for those with demanding physical routines. Once healed, your eyes are structurally more stable than they would be after LASIK. You can dive, swim, surf, and participate in water sports without concerns about flap complications or visual aids.
Recovery from PRK takes longer than from LASIK, typically 1 to 2 weeks before you can return to strenuous activity. For many athletes, this temporary tradeoff is worth the long-term benefits and peace of mind.
Who is a Good Candidate for PRK?
Athletes with astigmatism who are at least 18 years old and have had a consistent prescription for at least 1 year are typically good candidates for PRK. You should be free from eye diseases like glaucoma or cataracts and have realistic expectations about recovery time and results.
PRK works especially well for athletes in contact sports, military personnel, law enforcement officers, and anyone whose career or hobbies involve potential eye trauma. It’s also recommended as an alternative to LASIK for those with thin corneas or chronic dry eye, as creating a corneal flap poses a higher risk of complications in these individuals.
Your ophthalmologist at Stahl Eyecare Experts will perform a comprehensive eye exam to determine if PRK is right for you. This includes measuring your corneal thickness, checking your overall eye health, and discussing your athletic activities and visual goals.
Ready to see how PRK can improve your game? Schedule a consultation at Stahl Eyecare Experts in Manhattan, NY, today to find out if this procedure is right for your active lifestyle!
