Frequently Asked Questions About PRK 

Got questions about PRK in Colorado Springs? We have answers!  

Does PRK hurt?  

The actual PRK procedure has little or no pain and is performed under topical anesthesia. In fact, some patients are surprised at how little they feel during the procedure. Following the procedure, our doctors prescribe pain medications to control any discomfort that can last 4 days after PRK. It is advisable that you take time to rest for 4 days after PRK so your eyes can heal properly, regenerating the external layer of corneal tissue that was removed during the procedure.  

Is PRK really safe?   

Our team has an excellent track record of success with our patients. While no doctor can 100% guarantee perfect vision results after any type of medical procedure, we feel confident that PRK is a safe procedure when it is performed on patients with the right eye health and vision characteristics. Poor outcomes with PRK are often due to several reasons:  

• The patient was not a good candidate for the procedure and should not have undergone PRK 
• There was no prior examination done by a PRK specialist to confirm candidacy for the procedure 
• The person who performed PRK was inexperienced or unskilled 
• The PRK technology used was out-of-date 

When you choose The Wright Eye Center for PRK, you will undergo a comprehensive examination of your eye health before we will ever recommend you for PRK. We may turn away some patients OR recommend a different type of vision correction option that will be better suited for their eye health, age, vision goals, etc.  

Is PRK covered by insurance? 

PRK is considered an elective procedure under most insurance plans. This means that it’s not medically necessary for you to have the procedure so it typically isn’t covered by insurance. However, if you truly want to reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses or contacts, our team at The Wright Eye Center will help you understand options to make this goal attainable and affordable. One great option is PRK financing through CareCredit® – there are even 0% interest options if you pay off your balance within a specified timeframe. This is something we can discuss during your free PRK Consultation.  

Isn’t all PRK the same?  

All PRK is definitely NOT the same! A PRK experience at one center will be completely different from another. Here are some of the aspects that can vary from center-to-center:  

• Local surgeon (like our team) vs. temporary surgeons who fly in from out-of-state to perform many surgeries on one or two days in the office 
• In-house equipment (like what we have in our laser suite) vs. rented equipment that is rolled on-site for surgery days 
• Experienced surgeon (like our team) vs. doctors who have only done a handful of procedures 
• Personalized experience (like what we offer) vs. the assembly line experience of other centers 

We encourage you to visit The Wright Eye Center and other PRK centers as well to see first-hand how we stand apart from others.  

I have the same prescription as my friend who got PRK. That means I can get it too, right?  

Even if you can see clearly when you put on your friend’s eyeglasses, that doesn’t mean your eyes are exactly the same. There are many differences in eye health, refractive error (the corneal shape problem that makes your eyesight blurry) and overall health that might affect your candidacy for PRK. The only way to know for sure if you can have PRK is by scheduling a free Consultation with our team. We’ll provide honest information about your eye health and that might mean that we won’t recommend PRK for you.  

Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation, free PRK Consultation in Colorado Springs to get all of your questions answered!