What should I expect before, during, and after lasik surgery?
What to expect before, during, and after lasik surgery will vary from lasik doctor to lasik doctor and patient to patient. This section is a compilation of patient information developed by manufacturers and healthcare professionals, but cannot replace the dialogue you should have with your lasik doctor. Read this information carefully and with the checklist, discuss your expectations with your lasik doctor.
Before lasik surgery
If you decide to go ahead with lasik surgery, you will need an initial or baseline evaluation by your eye lasik doctor to determine if you are a good candidate. This is what you need to know to prepare for the exam and what you should expect:
If you wear contact lenses, it is a good idea to stop wearing them before your baseline evaluation and switch to wearing your glasses full-time. Contact lenses change the shape of your cornea for up to several weeks after you have stopped using them depending on the type of contact lenses you wear. Not leaving your contact lenses out long enough for your cornea to assume its natural shape before lasik surgery can have negative consequences. These consequences include inaccurate measurements and a poor surgical plan, resulting in poor vision after lasik surgery. These measurements, which determine how much corneal tissue to remove, may need to be repeated at least a week after your initial evaluation and before lasik surgery to make sure they have not changed, especially if you wear RGP or hard lenses. If you wear:
- soft contact lenses, you should stop wearing them for 2 weeks before your initial evaluation.
- toric soft lenses or rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, you should stop wearing them for at least 3 weeks before your initial evaluation.
- hard lenses, you should stop wearing them for at least 4 weeks before your initial evaluation.
You should tell your lasik doctor:
- about your past and present medical and eye conditions
- about all the medications you are taking, including over-the-counter medications and any medications you may be allergic to
Your lasik doctor should perform a thorough eye exam and discuss:
- whether you are a good candidate
- what the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the lasik surgery are
- what you should expect before, during, and after lasik surgery
- what your responsibilities will be before, during, and after lasik surgery
You should have the opportunity to ask your lasik doctor questions during this discussion. Give yourself plenty of time to think about the risk/benefit discussion, to review any informational literature provided by your lasik doctor, and to have any additional questions answered by your lasik doctor before deciding to go through with lasik surgery and before signing the informed consent form.
You should not feel pressured by your lasik doctor, family, friends, or anyone else to make a decision about having lasik surgery. Carefully consider the pros and cons.
The day before lasik surgery, you should stop using:
- creams
- lotions
- makeup
- perfumes
These products as well as debris along the eyelashes may increase the risk of infection during and after lasik surgery. Your lasik doctor may ask you to scrub your eyelashes for a period of time before lasik surgery to get rid of residues and debris along the lashes.
Also before lasik surgery, arrange for transportation to and from your lasik surgery and your first follow-up visit. On the day of lasik surgery, your lasik doctor may give you some medicine to make you relax. Because this medicine impairs your ability to drive and because your vision may be blurry, even if you don't drive make sure someone can bring you home after lasik surgery.