PRK: procedure guide
Surface treatment: the outer layer of the cornea is removed and the tissue beneath it is reshaped, with no flap and no lenticule. The surface then regrows, which is why the first week is slower.
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Quick answer
Surface treatment: the outer layer of the cornea is removed and the tissue beneath it is reshaped, with no flap and no lenticule. The surface then regrows, which is why the first week is slower.
General educational information about a subject, not an assessment of your own eyes. Suitability and treatment decisions are made by a qualified ophthalmologist who has examined you.
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PRK
Surface treatment: the outer layer of the cornea is removed and the tissue beneath it is reshaped, with no flap and no lenticule. The surface then regrows, which is why the first week is slower.
Also known as photorefractive keratectomy, surface ablation
Questions about PRK
Each answer below is the short version; the question links to the page that carries it in full, with sources.
- What is PRK?
PRK is laser vision correction in which the thin outer layer of the cornea is removed, the surface underneath is reshaped with an excimer laser, and the outer layer grows back over the following days.
- How does PRK work?
PRK works by removing the surface layer of the cornea and then removing corneal tissue in a pattern calculated from your measurements, which changes where light comes to focus.
- Is PRK painful?
The procedure itself is not painful because the eye is numbed. The first few days afterwards are commonly described as uncomfortable, with grittiness, watering and light sensitivity while the surface layer regrows.
- Why is PRK recovery longer?
PRK recovery is longer because the outer layer of the cornea has to regrow, and vision stays soft while it does. Flap and lenticule procedures leave that layer intact, so the surface settles sooner.
- Who is suitable for PRK?
PRK is often considered where the cornea is thin, where the surface is irregular, or where a flap carries a specific risk, such as in people whose work or sport involves a high chance of eye trauma.
- Can PRK be used for thin corneas?
PRK is one of the options considered when the cornea is thin, because creating a flap and the tissue it requires is avoided. Whether it is appropriate still depends on the predicted remaining thickness for your correction.
- What are the risks of PRK?
The risks of PRK overlap with those of other laser procedures: dryness, glare and halos, and imperfect correction. It also has a specific risk of haze, which is a healing response in the surface tissue.
- When can I drive after PRK?
Driving after PRK waits on your vision reaching the legal standard and on the discomfort being gone, which usually takes longer than after LASIK or SMILE. Arrange not to drive yourself home from the procedure.
- When can I return to work after PRK?
Returning to work after PRK depends on how quickly the surface settles and on what your work involves. It is usually longer than after a flap or lenticule procedure.
- How does laser eye surgery work in general?
All laser vision correction procedures remove or reshape corneal tissue to change the eye’s focusing power, and they differ mainly in how the laser reaches the tissue it needs to reshape.
- What is TransPRK?
TransPRK is a version of PRK in which the outer layer of the cornea is removed by the excimer laser itself rather than by a separate step, so the whole treatment happens in one continuous laser pass.
- What is the difference between PRK and LASIK?
PRK removes the cornea’s outer layer and lets it regrow, while LASIK lifts a flap and replaces it. PRK involves no flap but a slower, more uncomfortable first few days.
All 49 PRK & surface treatment questions, searchable
Where this is covered in full
- Recovery after laser eye surgery
What the first week is like, technique by technique, and activity by activity.
Related subjects
- Myopia (short sightedness)
The eye focuses light in front of the retina, so near objects are clear and distant ones are blurred. It is the refractive error most commonly treated with laser vision correction.
- Hyperopia (long sightedness)
The eye focuses light behind the retina. Younger eyes often compensate without noticing, which is why it tends to present later than short sightedness and is assessed more cautiously for surgery.
- Astigmatism
The cornea is curved unevenly, so light is focused differently across different axes and the blur is not the same in every direction. It commonly occurs alongside short or long sightedness.
- Blurred vision
Vision that is soft or unclear. It has many causes, from an uncorrected prescription to a change inside the eye, and only an examination can say which one applies.
- Dryness and grittiness
A burning, scratchy or gritty feeling at the front of the eye. It can make vision fluctuate through the day, and it is one of the reasons a surgeon examines the tear film before operating.
- TransPRK
A surface treatment in which the outer layer of the cornea is removed and the reshaping are done by the same laser pass, without a separate step and without touching the eye.
- LASIK
Flap-based laser vision correction: a thin surface layer of the cornea is lifted, the tissue beneath it is reshaped, and the layer is replaced without stitches.
- LASIK vs PRK
A flap against a surface treatment. The clinical difference is tissue and recovery rather than result, which is why PRK is still used where the cornea is thin.
- Dubai
The emirate where most of the UAE refractive surgery capacity is, and the one most international patients travel to. Licensing, clinic choice and what a quote should contain are the local questions.
- SMILE
Lenticule extraction: a lenticule is shaped inside the cornea and removed through a small incision, so there is no flap.
- SMILE vs PRK
Both leave the surface of the eye intact in different ways: one through a small incision, one by removing the surface layer and letting it regrow. The first week is the main difference.
- LASIK in Dubai
LASIK is performed at licensed eye facilities across Dubai, so availability is not the useful filter. What separates two quotes is the assessment behind the plan and who operates.
This page describes what is generally true about prk. It is not a diagnosis, and it cannot say whether a treatment is suitable for you, because suitability depends on measurements taken during an examination.
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.
- Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) Clinical reference StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.
Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- American Academy of Ophthalmology Professional body American Academy of Ophthalmology
A large professional body publishing both clinical guidance and plain-language patient education on refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of refractive surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Comparison of clinical outcomes of LASIK, Trans-PRK, and SMILE Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
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
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists Professional body The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (UK)
The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.
Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Refractive surgery and dry eye: an update Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central) · 2023
An update on how different refractive procedures affect the ocular surface, with attention to preoperative screening for dry eye.
Used for Why tear film assessment belongs in preoperative screening.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Post-LASIK dry eye disease: A comprehensive review of the current literature Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
A review of dry eye after LASIK, including the mechanisms involved and how other procedures compare in the published literature.
Used for Balanced comparison of dry-eye risk between procedures.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Dry Eyes After SMILE Peer-reviewed literature Peer-reviewed literature (via PubMed Central)
A review of ocular surface changes after SMILE, including how dry-eye signs and symptoms are measured and how they change over the first postoperative months.
Used for Explaining why dry eye is a key preoperative consideration.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Professional body ESCRS
A European professional society for refractive and cataract surgery, publishing guidance and outcome registries.
Used for Refractive surgery outcome measurement and reporting.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) Clinical reference StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
A continuously updated clinical reference chapter covering SMILE indications, technique, outcomes and complications, written for clinicians.
Used for How the lenticule is created and removed; Indications and contraindications; Complication categories; Corneal biomechanics compared with flap-based surgery.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Cochrane Library Peer-reviewed literature Cochrane
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Useful for readers who want to know how strong the pooled evidence is, not just what one trial found.
Used for Helping readers judge the strength of the evidence base.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- Cataracts in adults: management (NG77) Clinical reference National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK) · 2017
Clinical guidance on when cataract surgery is indicated, what should be discussed before it, and what follow-up is expected.
Used for When cataract surgery is considered appropriate rather than cosmetic timing; What patients should be told before cataract surgery.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public Patient information American Academy of Ophthalmology
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
Guides that explain this
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