Before LASIK

(Credit: Meredith Farmer)

You’ve decided to go for LASIK and are already dreaming of the day when you can chuck your glasses and contact lenses into the dustbin. But before you do that, arm yourself with information – things that you need to know before you go in for LASIK.

You will need an initial evaluation by your eye doctor to determine if you are a good candidate. Before you go in for the examination, it’s a good idea to stop wearing contact lenses and switch to wearing your glasses full-time.

Contact lenses change the shape of your cornea for up to several weeks after you’ve stopped wearing them and not leaving your lenses long enough for your cornea to assume its natural shape before surgery, can have negative consequences. These consequences include inaccurate measurements and a poor surgical plan, resulting in poor vision after surgery.

So, if you wear soft lenses, stop wearing them 2 weeks before your evaluation; for toric lenses, its 3 weeks; and, for hard lenses, the time is 4 weeks.

Also tell your doctor about your past and present medical and eye conditions and about all the medications that you are taking. The doctor should conduct a thorough eye exam and tell you about the risks, benefits and alternatives of LASIK. Give yourself plenty of time to think through before signing the consent form.

The day before the surgery, you should stop using creams, lotions, makeup and perfumes, because these products, along with the debris along the eyelashes can cause infection. It’s a good idea to arrange for transportation to and from your surgery and your first follow-up visit.