Does PRK reduce corneal thickness?

In PRK, the surface layer of cells that is removed is less than 10\% of the corneal thickness, leaving more available tissue to work with. Thus, PRK can be the only option for patients with thin corneas.

How long does it take for corneal epithelium to regenerate after PRK?

For PRK, it takes three to four days for the epithelium to heal back beneath the bandage contact lens that’s placed after the procedure. This can be delayed if patients lose the bandage lens, which results in the loss of the healed epithelium in PRK or the loss of the epithelial flap in LASEK.

Are thick corneas good for Lasik?

A good LASIK candidate will usually have a cornea that is 450-550 microns thick.

Is it good to have thick corneas?

Why is Corneal Thickness Important? Corneal thickness is important because it can mask an accurate reading of eye pressure, causing doctors to treat you for a condition that may not really exist or to treat you unnecessarily when are normal.

Does the epithelial grow back after PRK?

The epithelial layer removed during PRK surgery will regenerate; however, this occurs over a period of weeks. In some patients, the regrowth of the epithelium could take up to three months.

Is it bad to have thick corneas?

A Thicker Cornea – May Mean Less Reason to Worry About Glaucoma. Those patients with thicker CCT may show a higher reading of IOP than actually exists. This means their eye pressure is lower than thought, a lower IOP means that risk for developing glaucoma is lowered.

Are thick corneas bad?

“In other words, if patients have elevated IOP and thick corneas but normal visual fields and discs, their risk of glaucoma damage is probably low,” he continued. “Their high IOP is probably an artifact of their thick corneas and it’s probably wrong to commit them to a lifetime of unnecessary treatment.”