What is the difference between PRK and TransPRK?
Both are surface treatments. In PRK the outer corneal layer is removed first and the excimer laser then reshapes the tissue underneath. In TransPRK, the laser itself removes that layer and performs the reshaping in one continuous step, without alcohol or a blade.
- Subject
- Vision correction
- Topic
- PRK & TransPRK
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Procedures
- PRK, TransPRK
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
Whether the single-step version produces a different outcome is a question clinicians still answer differently, and a clinic’s preference is usually about the platform installed and how the surgeon was trained. What both share, and what matters most to a patient, is the slower first week compared with a flap or lenticule procedure.
What this answer depends on
- Which platform the clinic has
- Which technique the surgeon performs regularly
- Whether either approach is unsuitable for your cornea
Related guides
People also ask
The questions readers move to next from this one: the closest subjects first, from either question bank.
Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision correction & laser eye surgery in PRK & TransPRK . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Procedure PRK
- Procedure TransPRK
- Comparison LASIK vs PRK
- Comparison SMILE vs PRK
- Comparison LASIK vs SMILE
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Comparison of clinical outcomes of LASIK, Trans-PRK, and SMILE
A comparative study of three commonly used refractive procedures, including a summary of proposed advantages of each.
Used for The procedure comparison page, particularly the PRK discussion.
Link checked 22 September 2026