Laser vision correction – how to prepare for the procedure?

An absolute prerequisite for qualifying for laser eye surgery is stabilization of the defect. This means that one year before the qualification tests are undertaken, the defect should remain stable. Breaking this rule can result in the return and worsening of the vision defect already after laser eye correction.

Among the contraindications to laser vision correction surgery, there are absolute and relative contraindications. The former, which prevent the laser procedure, include, for example:

• Some corneal lesions (corneal cone, too thin cornea, congenital corneal pathologies, dystrophic diseases, corneal scars)

• too high a visual defect: myopia above – 10 diopters and farsightedness above +5 diopters, but NOTE: here we can often use the alternatives of laser vision correction, that is, implantation of phakic lenses or refractive lens replacement.
• Difficult to treat irregular astigmatism.

Relative contraindications include pregnancy, use of certain medications, autoimmune diseases, among others. This means that when the pregnancy is terminated, the use of medications is temporarily discontinued, and the autoimmune disease enters a state of remission or stabilization (for example, in the case of hormonal disorders), the doctor may give the green light for the procedure.

Another consideration for the procedure is the age of the patient. It is assumed that up to the age of 18 the eyes should not undergo surgery due to the developmental changes taking place in them, although in justified cases laser vision correction procedures are performed on people who are 18 or older. year of life.

When preparing for the procedure, you need to consider all of the above variables.

That’s why it’s important that an experienced ophthalmologist, as part of the patient’s preparation for the procedure, first conducts an in-depth history, followed by a comprehensive eye examination that includes precise technical, optical and medical measurements, preliminary qualifying examinations and a detailed discussion of the type of procedure chosen for the patient.

Once the doctor decides that the patient is eligible for the procedure and an appointment is made, the following steps should be taken:

1. If we wear contact lenses, we were certainly asked by our doctor even before the qualifying examinations to stop wearing them and return to wearing glasses. Why? The lenses cause a temporary change in the shape of the cornea, which affects the accuracy of important measurements taken during an eye exam. The treatment is about 99% effective, which means that there is a very high probability that by removing the lenses before the examination – soft lens users should stop wearing them about a week before the examination, and hard lens users , about a month – we have removed them once and for all. NOTE: Ortho-K lens users (wear them at night) should part with them even 3 months before the examination.
2. Although most patients can return to work and normal daily activities as early as 24 hours after the procedure, it is good to take a few days off. The issue is not even about possible complications, which in the case of laser vision correction are less than 1 per mille of cases, but about normal recovery. It is recommended not to work at a computer for a few days after the procedure, to wear sunglasses, to watch out for any sudden movements of the hand around the eye. NOTE: if necessary, it is possible to work the next day, but it is necessary to moisten the eyes very intensively and protect them with glasses, so that no foreign body enters the eye.
3. At least 24 hours before the procedure, you should refrain from wearing eye makeup (mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow). It is best to wash it off in the evening the day before the procedure and again in the morning on the day of the procedure. During the laser vision correction procedure, the entire face should be free of any makeup, cream, lotion – any cosmetics used “from the neck up.” About the use of cosmetics AFTER the procedure, it is essential to ask the doctor.
4. During the qualifying examination, 24 hours before the procedure, the patient’s body should be free of alcohol, coffee and energy drinks. It is also advisable to temporarily refrain from using perfumes or colognes with a high alcohol concentration. Why? All the liquids mentioned exacerbate dry eyes. They can also interfere with the laser beam.
5. On the day of surgery, someone should drive the patient to the clinic and pick him up whenever possible. On the day of the surgery, driving should be avoided – the operated eye is hypersensitive to light (this sensitivity may be only temporary or may persist permanently), may tear, and may burn.
6. Taking long trips immediately after surgery is not advisable.
7. The day after the procedure, you should appear for a follow-up examination.

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