OasisEye Specialists
Preparation before TransPRK
Preparation before TransPRK
Like any medical procedure, you will have to undergo a series of tests and scans to determine if you are suitable for TransPRK laser refractive surgery. In total, the tests will take about 2 hours to complete. Before your eye examination or TransPRK procedure, you should stop wearing your contact lenses for at least 5 days (soft contact lens), and 10 days for rigid gas permeable (RGP) or Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses.
Eye Examination
Among the tests and scans that are performed during the comprehensive eye examination are:
- Vision assessment
- Eye power measurement (Refraction)
- Corneal topography
- Dry eye evaluation
- Ocular surface assessment
- Retina and optic nerve assessment
Safety & Treatment Accuracy
Why are there so many tests involved?
We will only use measurements taken at our centre. As your safety and the treatment accuracy are our priority, we will not use any measurements taken from your previous eye examinations performed at other centres. If you have any pre-existing dry eyes, they will be treated before undergoing any procedure. Although the risk of post-operative dry eyes is low, those with untreated dry eyes may experience a slower healing process after TransPRK procedure. There are various treatments for dry eyes, and our corneal specialists will be able to treat them accordingly before your TransPRK procedure. Once you are cleared to undergo the TransPRK procedure, you can book in your treatment date.
Important Note
Surgery day
On the surgery day, take a bath before coming in and arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery. Bring a pair of sunglasses. Do not wear any makeup, hair products, perfume or any alcohol-based products as they may interfere with the the laser treatment. You will be given a final briefing by your doctor before entering the operation theatre. Within 20 minutes, the treatment should be complete and you’re free to go home!
Why haven’t I heard of TransPRK before?
Because the laser technology was not good enough until recently.
TransPRK is not popular as LASIK because there were no laser machines that can perform this technique in one step. In the past, to perform a no-touch surface ablation procedure, the surgeon has to perform two separate laser steps, first one to remove the epithelium, re-programme the laser and another laser step to correct the refractive error. This consumed a lot of time and the exposure of the cornea to drying caused inaccurate results.
Up to date, only Schwind (a German laser company) has discovered the best way to rapidly remove the epithelium and stroma accurately in one step. The TransPRK procedure is safe, quick, and pleasant experience especially for those who are afraid of instruments touching their eyes. There have been extensive publications on the results, safety, and efficiency of TransPRK treatment and it is proven to be as good as LASIK, Epi-LASIK or lenticule extraction.