Which is a Better Option for Correcting Astigmatism, PRK or LASIK?

The key to treating astigmatism is the type of laser.  In our office we use CustomWave Front treatments that can treat even high amounts of astigmatism as part of the correction without any special programming.  Whether the procedure is performed with LASIK or PRK does not matter, the result is identical.  The nice thing about LASIK is that a LASIK enhancement is easier than a PRK enhancement and those with very high corrections whether for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism are more likely to need fine-tuning of the for best possible vision. 

Astigmatism is a condition in which the front surface of the eye is oval rather than round.  Both LASIK and PRK are terrific procedures to treat astigmatism!  Speak with your eyeMD to determine which procedure is best for you. This may depend upon whether the astigmatism is symmetric or asymmetric, the thickness of the front surface of the eye, and your activities! 

Theoretically both procedures should give a good result since the same laser is used to perform the correction.  In my experience, LASIK gives slightly better results than PRK.  I think that this is because there is less healing after LASIK and therefore less opportunity to regress (get a return of some astigmatism).