I had eye surgery to correct fairly mild near sightedness (I don't remember my numbers) three years ago and did a lot of research on both. PRK and Lasik both do the same thing, the only difference is how they access the cornea. In Lasik they cut a flap, fold it back, reshape the cornea, and put the flap back over the eye. In PRK they just grind everything off, reshape the cornea, and let it all grow back. I ended up going with LASIK and have had 20/15 vision for the past three years with no adverse effects. Here are my thoughts.
1. Lasik is $4k. PRK is $3k.
Cost wasn't a factor for me (military funded). I would say a grand is worth Lasik's quicker recovery time, especially if you have to take unpaid time off of work.
2. Doc says medical outcomes after 6 months are nearly identical.
I was told the same thing and my research confirmed it
3. PRK takes longer to recover from. Sometime your final vision isn't "set" until a few months after the surgery. Lasik recovery is very quick.
I have very, very sensitive eyes. Even swimming in a chlorinated pool will leave me hurting for the rest of the day. Contacts irritated them so bad I could only use glasses. So, I was hurting pretty bad the day I had Lasik. Super photo sensitive and all around pretty emotionally drained because I was a nervous wreck before the procedure. I remember being able to read the exit sign in my hotel hallway a few hours after the procedure though and realizing that, despite the sensitivity, my vision was now perfect. The next day I felt much better but I still had to wear sunglasses outside. By day three I felt 100% but was still a bit sensitive to sunlight. I wore sunglasses outside for about a month but it was summer in Florida so most people have to wear sun glasses outside. I did deal with dry eyes for about a year and a half. If I slept under a fan my eyes would hurt in the morning.
4. I've read online stories that PRK recovery in the few days after can be fairly painful with lots of eye burning and extreme sensitivity to light.
My college room mate had PRK and didn't leave our completely dark room for a week. He said it was super painful and even the dim light from my alarm clock bothered him. He had to wear dark glasses for at least a few months. I will say that wearing dark glasses got him out of certain events (formations, drill, etc) so he may have been milking it a bit. All in all, I would say my recovery was much easier than his.
5. Lasik creates a corneal flap that might never truly heal. This could cause future problems if you're involved in very active sports. I only run and hike, so I assume this isn't an issue (I will ask the doc about this during my next meeting).
Yes, my understanding is that there is still a risk. Lasik is a disqualifying factor some military jobs and schools but I had heard that some of those restrictions have been lifted. I haven't really looked into it though. My doctor said that 'having the flap knock lose' was mostly fear lingering from the early days of Lasik and doesn't really happen. He compared the flap to a man hole cover. The original procedure just laid it over the hole and hoped it stayed on right. Now they weld that bad boy in place. I have had some pretty bad whip outs surfing where water got slammed into my face/eyes and had no issues. I've been punched in the face (boxing) plenty of times and had no issues. I've been deployed to super dusty and dry locations and had no issues. I wouldn't worry about it.
6. PRK might require a week or so off of work.
Yup, most likely. And you'll be uncomfortable for quite a while. And you'll need to wear sunglasses (even inside) for a while so if you have a job that requires you to not look like an idiot you might want to lean towards Lasik.
The biggest deciding factor for me was the less invasive procedure and the shorter recovery time. I think I made the right call and don't regret a thing. Also, now I get to tell people that I have been enhanced by the US Government.