Are you an athlete considering a vision correction procedure to improve your game and reduce your need for glasses and contacts? While you’ve probably heard of LASIK, certain athletes are better suited for other procedures like PRK.
So, what is PRK, how is it different from LASIK, and what advantages can it give you on the court, rink, field, or in the ring? Keep reading to learn more about why PRK might be the better choice for athletes.
What is PRK?
PRK is a vision correction procedure that uses a laser to reshape the cornea and correct refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Once the cornea is reshaped, light can refract to hit the retina at the best spot for clear vision.
Most patients are able to significantly reduce or completely eliminate their reliance on contacts and glasses after the procedure. That means you won’t have to deal with the hassle of visual aids while trying to perform your best during the game!
Why Some Athletes are Choosing PRK Over LASIK
The visual outcomes of LASIK and PRK are very similar, with the majority of patients gaining complete visual independence. However, for athletes who play contact sports like boxing, martial arts, basketball, football, or rugby, PRK is often a better choice.
This is because of the corneal flap created during LASIK. To access the cornea and reshape the tissue underneath, LASIK surgeons make a small flap that ends up being folded back over the eye to act as a natural bandage during the healing process.
While this can speed up recovery times, it poses a risk for patients who play contact sports. In the case of an eye injury during play, the corneal flap could become dislodged and lead to visual complications.
On the other hand, PRK offers the same visual benefits as LASIK, but does not require a flap for the procedure. Instead, your eye surgeon at Loden Vision Centers will remove the entire top layer of the cornea, called the epithelium.
They will then reshape the corneal tissue underneath in the same way as LASIK. Since no flap is made, it can be safer for athletes as there is no risk of the corneal flap being disrupted due to a sports injury.
However, the absence of the corneal flap does mean that PRK often takes longer than LASIK to recover from. The epithelium takes about five to seven days to heal, but your vision will likely be stable enough before that time to resume work and other lower-impact activities.
Benefits of PRK for Athletes
Getting a vision correction procedure like PRK can improve many aspects of your game, including:
Freedom from Visual Aids
If you need to wear glasses, they can get in the way of your performance in many ways, including fogging up while out on the field, gathering droplets during a rainy game, or slipping off of your face when trying to stay focused on the ball. Contacts can offer some athletes a solution, but they can also pose a hazard in certain sports like swimming.
If water gets trapped under the lenses, it can lead to irritation and infection. After PRK, you won’t need to hassle with glasses or contacts, and you can play your best without being encumbered by visual aids.
Better Visual Acuity
Perhaps the biggest benefit of PRK for athletes is crisper, sharper vision. For most sports, quick reaction time is key to catching the ball, scoring the goal, or landing the punch.
With better visual acuity, you can use improved depth perception and hand-eye coordination to up your game and enhance your speed.
Wider Field of Vision
PRK can broaden your field of vision, enabling you to see your surroundings more clearly. Without part of your sight being covered by glasses, you can see a member of the opposing team coming up beside you and react before they steal the ball or knock you off of your feet.
Who is a Good Candidate for PRK?
If you’re an athlete who plays contact sports and you want to reduce your dependence on visual aids, you may be a good candidate for PRK. It’s often also recommended by ophthalmologists as an alternative to LASIK for patients with thin corneas or severe dry eye.
However, you must meet certan candidacy requirements to be eligible for the procedure, including:
- Being 18 years or older
- Having a stable prescription for at least a year
- Not being pregnant or nursing
- Not having eye conditions like cataracts or glaucoma
- Not having autoimmune conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ofr Sjogren’s syndrome
- Having realistic expectations about the visual result of your procedure
At your pre-operative consultation, your ophthalmologist will go over your medical history, perform a thorough eye examination, and discuss your lifestyle and vision goals to determine whether PRK could be right for you.
Do you want to learn more about improving your game with PRK? Schedule a consultation at Loden Vision Centers in Nashville, TN, today!
