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Mr David Allamby
MD, FRCOphth, FRCS
Focus Clinics' LASEK procedure, refined by chief surgeon David Allamby, has resulted in a 100% success rate for all common myopia prescriptions and a boosted safety profile.
To be considered for PRK / LASEK eye surgery, you need to:
Be over the age of 18
Have a stable prescription over the past 12 months
Most people who have healthy eyes and have short-sight (with or without astigmatism) are good candidates for laser eye surgery. LASEK is often a more suitable treatment than LASIK for patients who are not suitable for LASIK surgery due to thin corneas or other factors.
See if you meet the LASEK eligibility requirements and whether you'd be a good candidate for LASEK surgery.
We can give you a good idea of your suitability for LASIK surgery over the phone and schedule you for your initial consultation. Submit your details below, pick a time that works best for you and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your options.
Speak to the team
We can give you a good idea of your suitability over the phone and schedule you for an initial consultation.
At Focus Clinics, our team has over 70 years of combined industry experience and has completed over 60,000 successful surgeries.
Want to see real reactions from real people, just moments after they've had laser eye surgery?
Speak to the team
We can give you a good idea of your suitability over the phone and schedule you for an initial consultation.
...is an alternative laser eye treatment for patients where LASIK isn't suitable
...is performed as a day-case with the whole visit lasting 2 hours
...treatment completed in approx 15 minutes per eye
...gives excellent vision within 1-3 months for most patients
PRK surgery, also called photorefractive keratectomy, is a refractive surgery that is used to correct refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. PRK was the first refractive surgery procedure that used an excimer laser to reshape the cornea.
PRK was developed in the 1980s and was approved by the FDA in 1995. The excimer laser was approved for use in refractive surgery in 1988. PRK surgery was popular before the advent of LASIK surgery because it was the only laser vision correction procedure available.
PRK is similar to LASIK surgery in that it uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. The difference between PRK and LASIK is that in PRK surgery, the surgeon will first remove the surface layer of the cornea (the epithelium) before performing the laser vision correction. In LASIK surgery, a flap is created on the surface of the cornea and the excimer laser is used to reshape the tissue underneath the flap.
PRK surgery is often recommended for patients who are not suitable for LASIK surgery due to thin corneas or other factors. PRK surgery is also sometimes recommended for patients who have a high risk of developing corneal ectasia after LASIK surgery.
LASEK eye surgery is a type of refractive surgery that is similar to PRK surgery. In LASEK surgery, the surgeon will first use an alcohol solution to loosen and detach the surface layer of the corneal epithelium. The excimer laser is then used to reshape the cornea. After the laser vision correction is complete, the epithelium is replaced and will heal on its own.
LASEK eye surgery was developed in an effort to reduce the pain and recovery time associated with PRK surgery. LASEK surgery is often recommended for patients who have thinner corneas or for those who participate in an active lifestyle.
Speak to the team
We can give you a good idea of your suitability over the phone and schedule you for an initial consultation.
PRK surgery is suitable for most people who are looking to correct their vision.
To be eligibly for PRK / LASEK eye surgery you must:
PRK eye surgery is not suitable for everyone. You may not be suitable for PRK surgery if:
Laser eye surgery is charged by most clinics at £2000 to £2500 per eye, so you should expect to pay between £4-5000 for the complete treatment.
Many clinics advertise their prices incredibly low in order to attract new customers. However these prices are usually not genuine, are only applicable to customers with tiny prescriptions or are undertaken usually older technology and machinery.
It's important to focus on your laser eye surgery as a package, remembering that a comprehensive assessment, meeting your surgeon before the procedure and feeling confident in the level of aftercare you will receive, are all important factors that should be offered to you.
At Focus, we include a 10-Year Guarantee for free re-treatment (should it be needed and available for our short-sighted treatment patients) during the first decade after your surgery. Most clinics only include 12 months of free re-treatment.
We also include our Lifetime Aftercare, where if you think your treatment is wearing off, you can return any time without charge, even many years later. Many clinics will charge you for attending after the initial period.
You will have a comprehensive eye test with one of our experienced optometrists. If you wear contact lenses, you will be asked to stop wearing them for a minimum of two weeks before this appointment.
You will also have a series of measurements taken of your eyes using our advanced laser eye surgery technology. This is to map the surface of your cornea and help us plan your PRK treatment.
You will then meet with your eye doctor who will talk you through the PRK procedure and answer any questions you may have.
You will be asked to sign a consent form to confirm that you understand the risks and benefits of PRK surgery and are happy to go ahead with treatment.
PRK surgery is usually performed under local anaesthetic eye drops, which numbs the surface of your eye. You will be awake throughout the procedure, but you shouldn't feel any discomfort.
Your surgeon will use an instrument called a speculum to open your eye wide. This helps to keep your eye from blinking and moving during treatment.
The next step is to access the corneal tissue. In PRK surgery, the outer layer of your cornea (the epithelium) is removed using a special brush or an alcohol solution. This step is necessary to allow the laser access to your cornea.
Once the epithelium has been removed, your surgeon will use an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. The laser removes very precise amounts of tissue from the cornea, which changes its shape.
After the laser has been used to reshape the cornea, a contact lens is placed over the eye. This helps to protect the cornea as it heals.
You will then be taken to a recovery area where you will be monitored for the next few hours.
After PRK surgery, it is normal to experience some discomfort. Your eye may feel gritty and you may also have a headache. These symptoms can be relieved with painkillers and artificial tears.
Your eyes will also be very sensitive to light, so you should wear sunglasses when you are outdoors.
You will need to have regular check-ups with your surgeon over the next few months so they can monitor your eye health and vision. Most people will achieve the best vision between one and three months after PRK surgery.
During this time, you should avoid:
If you have any concerns or questions about PRK surgery, our team are always on hand to help.
PRK has been around for 25 years and is a relatively simple procedure compared to Z-LASIK. In expert hands and at a specialist clinic, the risk of complications is very low. But of course, laser treatment IS still surgery and you should approach having vision correction in the right manner.
We believe coming to a single specialist centre, owned by our Medical Director and chief surgeon, has advantages for you. You will see the same people each time and our surgeons are usually available immediately to see and chat with you if you have any concerns. There is no head office that we have to report to. All of our attention is on your clinical care, and offered by clinicians.
Whilst LASIK will be the choice of many people at Focus, PRK / LASEK is sometimes the way to go. We recently for example treated someone who is active in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) – LASEK was more suited to this particular individual.
Not everyone is suitable for PRK surgery. However, in well-selected candidates, it is a highly safe and predictable procedure performed more than 50 million times across the world.
Not everyone will be suitable for PRK surgery. Our experienced team has stringent guidelines for each type of surgery to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients. You may not be suitable for PRK surgery in the following instances:
If you are not suitable for PRK surgery, our team can offer alternative treatments.