What is the difference between LASIK and PRK?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Same laser, different doorway: LASIK reshapes under a flap; PRK reshapes the surface directly. A Cochrane review of 13 trials (1,135 participants) found LASIK gives faster visual recovery and is less painful, while one-year results were comparable. PRK means days of real discomfort and weeks to sharpen fully - but leaves no flap, suiting thinner corneas and high-impact lives. Neither is "better"; the exam decides. Pymander's escalation routing is built and tested specifically for this class of decision; see the safety architecture working paper.
What to do
- Let the cornea decide: thickness and shape from the screening often make the choice for you.
- Price the recovery honestly: LASIK: days. PRK: a week of discomfort, weeks to sharp vision.
- Consider your life: contact sports, military, boxing - the flapless PRK removes one worry.
- Get seen if: severe pain, worsening vision, or light sensitivity after either - same-week calls.
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