Taking Care of an Ill Loved One

What You Need To Do Well Before Your Lasik Procedure

Lasik has become a standard, safe, and common procedure that is able to restore your vision to a perfect or near perfect level. And, most people are now able to receive Lasik. If you are interested in the procedure, then there are a few very important things that you will need to do before your procedure can even begin. Keep reading to learn what these things are.

Stop Wearing Contacts

Many people wear contact lenses to restore their visual acuity. And while contacts may be preferred over glasses, you will need to stop wearing them for a time before the Lasik procedure. You may not know this, but your corneas do change shape when you wear contact lenses and this will obscure the natural shape and contour of the eye. If the natural eye contour cannot be measured and examined, then your eye professional may end up removing too much of the cornea. And, this can cause poor acuity, meaning that the procedure may be a failure. 

Typically, you will need to stop wearing contacts and switch to glasses for about three to four weeks before your surgical procedure. And, once your eyes return to a stable and normal shape, your eye professional can complete a precise evaluation for your procedure. Keep in mind that if eye measurements differ from one week to another, your eye doctor will likely choose to continue monitoring cornea shape until measurements are the same.

The good news is that you will probably not need contacts any longer once you make it through the recovery phase of Lasik

Discontinue Or Reduce Medications

There are some medical conditions that can make it a bit more risky to receive Lasik surgery. However, eye professionals can often work out a plan with individuals who have chronic and systematic diseases to ensure that the eye procedure can be completed safely and successfully. The plan may include the short-term discontinuation of medication or the reduction of medicines that can interfere with healing or that can cause surgical complications.

A few medications that may need to be reduced may include steroids, immune-suppressing medications, and anticoagulants. 

The eye doctor will also need to make sure that the conditions you take these medications for are under control. This will help to ensure that infections, inflammation, and healing are not an issue.

Also, diabetes must be controlled properly before any operation can be completed on the eyes. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to high eye pressure as well as a reduction in blood flow to the eye. Both of these things can lead to healing problems. 


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