Laser eye surgery is among the preferred effective treatment methods for common refractive errors. With the developing technology, we also see innovations that increase the effectiveness of laser eye surgeries and increase the success rate of the surgery. One of these is the PRK method. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), one of the most preferred methods recently, stands out with its effective and high success rates. There are also various scientific studies to determine how effective the method is. In this content, we will evaluate the results of a PRK study conducted with US navy pilots and discuss the effectiveness of the method.
PRK Research on Air Navy Pilots
The study examined the effectiveness and safety of the PRK method through observation studies conducted on US air navy pilots.
A total of 785 pilots participated in the study. After the PRK operation, 94.4% of the 785 pilots achieved a visual acuity quality of 20/20 or better. In other words, the majority of pilots achieved the desired visual acuity result.
What is more interesting is the speed of recovery after PRK. 90.8% of the pilots were able to fully return to flight duties within 12 weeks. This means that the vast majority were able to return to flying status in just 12 weeks and their opinions improved at the desired rate.
The results of the study show that PRK is an appropriate and safe treatment for military pilots, as well as one of the effective methods for laser eye surgery in general.
Source
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38848054/
