Phototherapeutic Keratectomy
Phototherapeutic Keratectomy is a surgical procedure to manage different corneal diseases and remove the roughness or cloudiness from the cornea. If the corneal surface is rough or cloudy, the rays of light do not focus properly on the retina and images are blurry.
The cornea is the eye’s most outer layer and acts as a window that covers the front of the eye. PTK is a minor surgical therapeutic treatment that uses an excimer laser to treat mainly diseases of the surface of the cornea or corneal injury, by removing a small outer layer of tissue from the cornea.
It is normally used after more traditional treatments have failed. It is done for therapeutic reasons, to correct medical eye issues. PTK is a safe and permanent procedure but like any form of surgery it does have a small amount of risk. This includes bacterial infection or corneal haze. These are usually mild and tend to disappear over a period of time, although they can be permanent in a small number of cases. Your eye specialist will discuss these risks with you during the consultation as well as assessing your suitability for PTK.
