Recommendations Before & After Operation

The recommendations and measures before the operation

  1. Some days before and after the operation, avoid using cosmetics around the eyes and eyelashes. Also, the night before the operation completely cleans your face and eyes. It is even better that the night before the operation you take bath and completely wash your head and face with shampoo and soap.
  2. In case of using soft or hard contact lens, you should remove them sometime before the examination as well as before the operation. This is around one week and two weeks for soft and hard lenses, respectively. Note that not using lens before the examinations is a must.
  3. Do inform your physician about any internal disease including rheumatoid diseases, diabetes, sensitivity, and others as well as ocular diseases including blockage of lacrimal ducts, eye discharge, dandruff of eyelashes, dry eyes, swollen conjunctivitis, glaucoma, and others. Further, do inform your physician about constant use of medications such as corticosteroids. Finally, in case of pregnancy or breast-feeding, again inform your physician.
  4. Usage of any perfume or eau de toilette as well as fragrance during the operation can adversely influence the outcome of your surgery by affecting the laser device. So, never use any fragrance or perfume during the operation.
  5. If you use pins for your hair, remove them before the operation and never bring devices such as cell phone.

Recommendations and measures during the operation

The operation is performed under local anesthesia and only with anesthetic drops. This type of anesthesia absolutely suffices for the operation and the operation will be pain free. Further, the operation is outpatient and you don’t need to be hospitalized.

Before the operation, two or three drops are dropped in your eyes and your eyelids become sterilized. Thereafter, you are placed on a bed. At this stage, you should cooperate with the physician, listen to the recommendations, and never worry at all. Because your surgeon controls all stages and reminds you of anything that you should do.

During the operation, you are recommended to look at special lights. You should perform this very well and do not move your eyes and keep them fixed. At first, it may sound difficult for you, but over time your eyes get used to the surrounding lights and you will be able to have the necessary cooperation. Therefore, never have any excitement or worry. Once your eyelids were opened with the special device, a sucker ring is placed on your eyes, so that your eyes would be fixed and the ocular pressure would be elevated as required. At this stage, your vision may become completely blurry, but there is nothing to worry about, because after its removal, your vision becomes 100% normal.

Next, a device called microkeratome is placed on a ring, and with a rapid cyclic movement, it removes a thin layer from your cornea. Thereafter, both the ring and microkeratome are removed from your eyes. At this stage, laser comes into play and here your cooperation is very important. You should vigilantly look at the lights that are requested from you.

Immediately after that, laser beams are radiated to your eyes and continues until some seconds (depending on the score of your vision). Initiation and continuation of laser has a special sound, but don’t worry about that. After that, the layer is removed and without any need for re-suture it is placed again on your cornea and operation is finished.


Postoperative measures and care

Immediately or within several hours after the operation, your eyes are examined by the physician. You may need to rewash your eyes, which is performed by the physician. If required and according to the discretion, for faster healing on the site of operation, a soft lens which is called dressing lens is placed in your eyes, which should be removed on several days later. Therefore, don’t worry about that at all because there is nothing wrong about your eyes. Even your vision may become absolutely blurry, which is normal within the first hours and days, and your vision will become normal over time. After the operation, bloody red spots appear in your eyes which resolve within several days or several weeks later. In addition to these points, pay attention to the following as well:

  1. Use the drops that have been prescribed for the duration recommended. This duration for Lasik is around one week, but for PRK it is usually up to several weeks.
  2. Refrain from rubbing and scratching eyes for one month.
  3. Avoid using cosmetics around and inside the eyes for two weeks.
  4. Don’t wash your face for up to two days following operation, and avoid swimming for 2-4 weeks.

5- For 2-3 days after the operation, do not take shower or bath, and even after be careful so that water and shampoo do not enter your eyes. Although use of baby shampoos is not a must, its application for several weeks after the operation may be more suitable.

6- In the early days of operation, when sleeping, do not let the eyes to get into contact with the pillow.

7- although usage of sunglasses is not mandatory, they would greatly help in the early days after the operation, and will improve photosensitivity in you. Therefore, usage of these glasses after the operation is recommended.

8- after Lasik operation, the pain is usually mild-to-moderate. However exceptionally some patients will have watery eyes as well as severe burning and pain. If these problems occur within the early hours following the operation, there is nothing to worry about and you should tolerate them. But, if you are concerned do contact your physician.

9- after PRK operation, the pain will be relatively severe and your vision is absolutely blurry for some days. Of course there is nothing to worry about and you will improve after several days. Even up to two days after the operation you may not be able to open your eyes.

10- typically, the day after the Lasik operation, your eyes are relaxed and will be opened completely, whereby you can regain your vision for up to 70 to 80%. Since of blurriness, cloudiness, and especially diminished near sight for some time after the operation are normal and they will be resolved after several days or even several months. Further, light scattering and photosensitivity will also exist sometimes after the operation which resolve gradually. After Lasik, some hours of rest at home will suffice and you can reinitiate your routine activities and occupation from the day after the operation. If your vision is not blurry and is suitable, you can begin to study or watch TV, and working with eyes you have no limitations.

11- performing physical activities and exercise can be done the day after Lasik operation, and there is no limitation about that. However, you should avoid activities that may involve possibility of direct strikes to the eyes.

12- determination of your eye score precisely may not be possible on the first days after the operation. Therefore, in this regard you should not be sensitive to the measurements recorded in your file and disregard them. The vision score is variable for some days after the operation and will improve gradually.

13- after the operation, there is no need to following any special diet and fasting is allowed.

14- driving on the early days after the operation may be problematic, particularly in darkness. Therefore, drive with ultimate care for some days.

15- if you have any other questions, talk to your physician. If you refer to an ophthalmologist, remind them that you have undergone Lasik operation because with examination your surgery may not be detectable.

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