If you have had eye trauma, injury, or corneal disease, it is possible to experience scarring to the corneal surface. This type of abnormality can block light from passing through the retina, leading to distorted eyesight or vision loss. It can even cause cloudiness, glare, irregular astigmatism, pain, irritation, and dry eyes. Phototherapeutic keratectomy, also known as PTK, is an innovative treatment that uses a laser to address corneal irregularities, including scar tissue. At Chu Vision Institute, we perform PTK using an excimer laser to deliver targeted heat energy to the cornea to help smooth surface abnormalities. If you have been experiencing blurry vision or pain associated with corneal scarring, we invite you to contact our office in Bloomington, MN at your earliest convenience. Board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Ralph Chu and our skilled medical team have years of training and experience in performing advanced laser treatments, like PTK.
BEST CANDIDATES FOR PTK
You may be a candidate for PTK if you have experienced distorted or impaired eyesight, clouding of vision, dry eyes, pain, or other symptoms of corneal disease or injury. Patients who receive this laser-assisted procedure usually have superficial or moderate corneal scarring or abnormalities. If you have very deep scars or extremely thin corneas, this treatment may not be appropriate. To determine if you qualify, Dr. Chu will perform a comprehensive eye exam. This will allow him to design a customized treatment plan to address your specific condition.
PTK PROCEDURE TECHNIQUE
PTK is done as a quick outpatient procedure, lasting about 10 – 20 minutes. The PTK procedure process is similar to LASIK or PRK, but the main difference is that PTK is not used to correct a refractive error. To begin your treatment, your eyes will be numbed with special anesthetic drops to keep you comfortable the entire time, and you may also be given a mild sedative. Dr. Chu will position a device over the treated eyes to prevent movement. Then, he will utilize the cutting-edge excimer laser to deliver focused beams of light, selectively removing only the scarred corneal tissue while preserving the healthy surrounding tissue.
FOLLOW-UP AFTER PTK
After your treatment, a bandage contact lens will be placed over your treated eyes to provide comfort and aid in the recovery process. A nurse of the Chu Vision Institute team will send you home with any important follow-up instructions, such as how often to administer prescribed eye drops. In addition, you may need to attend a few follow-up visits after your PTK procedure to monitor your recovery and improving eye health. Many patients report experiencing better vision within about a day of their PTK procedure with continued improvements over time. Since PTK is not a refractive vision correction procedure, you may need to continue wearing eyeglasses or contacts to sharpen your eyesight.
IMPROVED VISION WITH PTK
If you have scarred or irregular corneal tissue, it can result in impaired or blurry vision. However, these issues can be addressed to boost your sight and eye health. Chu Vision Institute provides PTK, a newer, laser-assisted method to effectively treat scarring of the cornea. If you’d like to find out more about PTK and whether it’s a good option to treat your corneal scarring, contact our team in Bloomington, MN to book a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Chu.