With PRK or Photo-Refractive Keratomy, the laser emits cool pulses of ultraviolet light, directly to the surface of the eye, again reshaping the cornea. Amazingly, the laser vision treatment process requires only a few minutes from start to finish. The actual laser pulses occur for about 20-60 seconds. The treatment itself is painless and there may be some minor discomfort in the first few hours or days following the procedure. Over 65 Million Americans are myopic, or nearsighted.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eye is too long, or the cornea is too steep.
This causes light rays entering the eye to focus in front of the retina, instead of directly on it, making distant images blurry. Farsightedness occurs when the eye is shorter than normal or the cornea is too flat. This causes images to be focused behind the retina resulting in blurry vision. This also results in blurred vision. Light focuses in two places rather than one.