Excimer Lasik

The excimer laser has been used in the past few years to correct myopia. There are several thousand people in the United States who have had excimer laser surgery through research studies that are authorized and reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. The excimer laser is limited in the U.S. to investigation use only.

In a process called photorefracive keratectomy (PRK), the excimer laser precisely sculpts the surface of the cornea using invisible, high-energy light. While not yet proven, it is hoped that this procedure will produce more stable vision than RK.

No surgical blades are used. The surgery takes about 15 minutes using eye drops to anesthetize the cornea. Complications during the procedure itself are very rare.


For mild to moderate myopia, PRK and RK have similar results. The cornea should be able to withstand injury better after PRK than after RK.


A common but temporary problem after PRK is hazy vision. It usually improves after several months and, based on current clinical trials, rarely results in a permanent scarring of the cornea.

Over 70% of people report some haloes or glare after PRK, especially at night; these symptoms usually decrease over 3 to 6 months. As with RK, however, most people are pleased with the improvement in eye sight unaided by glasses or contact lenses following PRK.

The long-term results and safety of PRK are unknown until research trials are completed.