What is More Effective Lasik or Asa?
Asa is advanced surface ablation. An acronym for PRK. Available in the United States since 1996, PRK is a procedure that corrects vision by reshaping the eye’s cornea. It is used to treat low to high levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. PRK is different from LASIK in that the epithelium, or outer layer of the cornea, is removed entirely during a PRK procedure, and the laser is applied to the surface of the cornea rather than to the inner tissue.
For nearsighted individuals, the goal of the PRK procedure is to flatten a steep cornea. To improve vision in farsighted patients, PRK is used to increase the steepness of a cornea that is too flat. For treating astigmatism, the procedure is used to reshape the cornea, making it more spherical. We perform PRK surgery at our McLean, Charlottesville and Rockville medical centers.
PRK patients can expect to achieve uncorrected visual acuity similar to LASIK patients. Although it typically takes longer to fully recover and achieve optimal results following PRK, this procedure remains the vision correction method of choice for patients with certain corneal conditions or corneal scars that prevent them from being suitable candidates for LASIK. As with all laser vision correction techniques, there is a very small risk of scarring or infection as a result of this procedure. Some patients also experience a glare or halo effect and light sensitivity after undergoing PRK. Dr. Holzman uses special protocols and medications specifically to minimize all of the risks.
