Lasik Eye Surgery: What to Expect Before, During and After
Before: You’ll need a complete eye examination by your refractive surgeon. A preliminary eye exam may be performed by your referring eye care professional. Take your eye prescription records with you to the exams. If you wear contact lenses, stop wearing them (soft contact lenses – two weeks; toric soft lenses or rigid gas permeable lenses – three weeks; and hard lenses – four weeks) before your baseline evaluation, and switch to wearing your glasses full-time. Contacts can temporarily change the shape of the cornea, and compromise precise measurements in the pre-op exam.
Your doctor should:
- Dilate your pupils to fine-tune your prescription.
- Examine your eyes to make sure they’re healthy, including a glaucoma test, a retinal exam, and an assessment of dry eye.
- Take the following measurements:
- The curvature of your cornea and your pupils.
- The topography of your eyes to make sure you don’t have an irregular astigmatism or a cone-shaped cornea – a condition called keratoconus.
- The pachymetry – or thickness – of your cornea. You need to have enough tissue left after your corneas have been cut and reshaped.<
- Ask you to sign an informed consent form after a thorough discussion of the risks, benefits, options, and possible complications. Review the form carefully, and don’t sign until you understand everything in the form.
- If your doctor doesn’t think Lasik is right for you, you might consider getting a second opinion; however, if the opinion is the same, believe it.
If you qualify for surgery, your doctor may tell you to stop wearing your contact lenses for a while before the surgery for the same reason that you stopped wearing them before your baseline exam – because contacts can temporarily change the shape of the cornea. Your cornea should be in its natural shape the day of surgery. Your doctor also may tell you to stop wearing makeup, lotions or perfume for a few days before surgery. These products can interfere with the laser treatment or increase the risk of infection after surgery.
During:Lasik is an outpatient surgical procedure. The only anesthetic is an eye drop that numbs the surface of the eye. The surgery takes 10 to 15 minutes for each eye. Sometimes, both eyes are done during the same procedure; but sometimes, surgeons wait (sometimes days or weeks) to see the result on the first eye before doing the second eye.
The Surgical Procedure: The eye is moistened and a suction ring is positioned to keep the eye from moving and the cornea in the correct position. A special device cuts a hinged flap of thin corneal tissue off the outer layer of the eyeball (cornea) and the flap is lifted out of the way. The laser reshapes the underlying corneal tissue, and the surgeon replaces the flap, which quickly adheres to the eyeball. There are no stitches. A shield — either clear plastic or perforated metal — is placed over the eye to protect the flap.
After: Healing is relatively fast, but you may want to take a few days off from work after the surgery. All sports should be avoided for three days after surgery; impact sports or similar activities for four weeks. Be aware that:
- You may experience a mild burning or sensation for a few hours after surgery. Do not rub your eye(s). Your doctor can prescribe a painkiller, if you need one, to ease any discomfort.
- Your vision probably will be blurry the day of surgery, but it should improve considerably by the next day when you return for a follow-up exam.
- Iif you experience aggravating or unusual side effects, report them to your doctor immediately.
- You shouldn’t drive until your vision has improved enough to safely do so.
- You will be asked to avoid swimming, hot tubs and whirlpools for two weeks after surgery.
Check Out These Other Health and Wellness Websites
Medications
Weight Control
Nutrition
Cosmetics
Medical Devices
Diabetic Supplies
Cosmetic Surgery
LASIK Vision
Arthritis
Hair Restoration
FDA Compliance
Clinical Trials
Cancer Treatments
Chemotherapy
Imaging & Radiology
Biologics & Blood
Mesothelioma
Pet Care
Free Debt Consultation — Deal Debt A Fatal Blow Today!
Call Now! 1800 DEBT.COM (that's 1800 332-8266) or Click Here
|
