What Are Some Of The Brand Names Used For PRK Surgery?

Mr Glenn Carp – “The main three brand names for PRK, essentially are PRK, where the epithelium is removed itself and not replaced, contact lenses placed on the eye and the epithelium re-grows under the contact lens.  The second one is LASIK where the epithelium is loosened with alcohol and then pushed to one side.  Once the shaping is done, the denatured epithelium is then replaced over the cornea and a contact lens is placed again allowing the new epithelium to grow under the old and an Epi-LASIK, where a little machine with a bluntish blade is used to run over the surface of the eye dislodging epithelium, that epithilium can be lifted over, the shape changed and used to get into the permanent layer and then replaced with a contact lens put on top.  In all forms the surface epithelium, whether it is removed or simply replaced, is actually re-replaced by a brand new layer of epithelium.”

PRK Brand Names Explained Further…

In the UK, many clinics use other names to attempt to differentiate what is effectively the same procedure. These brand names include: UltraLASEK, UltraLASEKplus, EPI-LASEK, etc. Usually, these names represent the same treatment, guided by a wavefront aberrometer, and clinics usually provide these treatments at a higher cost than conventional LASEK or PRK. In contrast, London Vision Clinic provides all of its patients PRK or LASEK guided by a wavefront aberrometer if they need it – without additional cost. In the interest of clarity, we just call it what it is, PRK or LASEK.