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Q: Will I be in any pain during and after the laser
vision correction procedure? |
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A:
There is no discomfort at all during
the LASIK
or PRK
procedure. You will be awake and comfortable
throughout the procedure. Following the
PRK procedure, expect a gritty sensation
with some mild to moderate discomfort in
the first few days, which will improve with
time.
LASIK
procedure is also painless; however, there
is about 30 seconds of firm pressure while
the corneal flap is being created. Following
the procedure, patients are slightly more
comfortable than patients undergoing PRK,
experiencing only a 4-6 hours of scratchiness
in the eye. Sleep during these first hours
immensely reduces any discomfort you may
feel.
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Q: Can I have both eyes treated
or must I do one at a time? |
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| A:
Most patients undergoing LASIK prefer
to have both eyes treated on the same day.
There are pros and cons to this approach
but most people would like to minimize any
postoperative discomfort and time off from
work. This is entirely up to the patient.
PRK is not performed on both eyes the same
day, and a waiting period of approximately
two to three weeks is recommended. This
is an issue that should be discussed with
your surgeon. |
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Q: Should I be
nervous about the procedure? |
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A:
It is perfectly
natural to be nervous about having the procedure.
Your LASIK surgeon, Dr.
Shobha Tandon will spend a
great deal of time describing exactly what's
involved in the procedure. She will "walk
you through the process" to make you
as comfortable as possible. |
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Q: Will my work,
hobbies, vacation, trips, etc. be affected? |
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A:
Most likely
not. However, it is conceivable that your
vision could have a delay in recovery such
that there could be a problem doing your
work or a hobby or interfere with taking
a trip or vacation. You will be asked to
restrict certain activities for about 1-2
weeks. You should try to always have more
than enough time between your surgery and
something you really need or want to do,
especially if the activity requires good
vision. |
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Q: How will my
present or future employment be affected? |
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A:
No one knows. You should be aware
that some agencies or organizations that
have physical or visual requirements for
participation, governmental or otherwise,
including the military, FAA, airlines, fire
departments, law enforcement, and possibly
others, may at the present or may in the
future, decide to impose limitations on
various physical conditions including having
LASIK surgery or other refractive surgery.
NeoVision Eye Center cannot be responsible
for keeping current on the legislation of
every conceivable organization, either locally
or nationally. If there is a particular
group that you are either a member of or
anticipate the possibility of joining as
a member, you must verify the requirements
before having such surgery. |
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Q: How much time
do I need to take off of my work? |
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A:
Most people can return to work the
next day. This is due to the fact that most
people see well enough to drive the day
after surgery. |
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Q: What should
I do prior to my surgery day? |
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Depending upon your
occupation, you may need to arrange
to be away from work for up to 4 days
following your surgery.
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You may eat a light
meal prior to surgery. You must avoid
the following 24 hours before your procedure:
Alcohol, Caffeine, Cigarettes, and Anti-histamines
or allergy medications.
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You should not plan
to drive long distances for approximately
3 days after LASIK and 7 days after
PRK.
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Please remove all
facial make-up (lipstick, facial cream,
eye make-up etc.) a minimum of 2 days
prior to surgery. For your safety, surgery
will be cancelled if make-up is present.
The evening before surgery, we suggest
soaking your eyes in a warm washcloth
to remove all eye make-up.
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Purchase your eye
drops from your local pharmacy, antibiotic
and Refresh Tears (preservative free)
the day before your scheduled surgery.
You will be given a prescription before
your surgery.
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Q: What should
I do on the day of my surgery? |
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- Please note that you may feel nervous,
anxious, or excited prior to your procedure.
This is a natural, normal response.
- Please refrain from wearing perfume,
cologne, hair products, body lotion,
scented deodorants, and soap on the
day of your surgery.
- Please pre-arrange for transportation,
you WILL NOT be able to drive.
- Please be advised that after your
surgery your eyes will be irritated
and light sensitive. This usually dissipates
within 24 hours after surgery.
- We recommend avoiding alcohol 24 hours
prior to and 48 hours after your surgery,
as this tends to dehydrate the tissues.
- Wear comfortable clothing on your
surgery day. You can bring a sweatshirt
to wear during the procedure. Procedure
room temperature is controlled at 68-70
degree F. Avoid clothing such as wool
that may generate lint in the surgical
suite.
- Plan to arrive 30 minute before your
scheduled surgery.
- Plan to stay upto two hours at the
center for your scheduled procedure.
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Q: What are the
post-LASIK instructions? |
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| A:
After laser surgery most patients
experience a general scratchiness or foreign
body sensation with some tearing. Some pain
and discomfort is normal. Sometimes eyelid
may be swollen or droop a little. You may
be sensitive to bright light for some time.
After surgery, keep your eye(s) closed for
about two hours, then gently open and start
using the drops as directed.
For pain,
you can take Vicodin tablet if prescribed.
We use three kinds of topical drops post- |
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operatively. One is an antibiotic to help
minimize the chance of infection; the second
is an anti-inflammatory to help minimize
inflammation excess; and the third is a
tear lubricant, provided to help the superficial
corneal cells remodel and remain moist.
The antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops
are used for approximately one week, while
the teardrops are used for at least one
to three months.
You should
start using antibiotic eye drops, Zymar,
every two hours for the first day then four
times a day for five days. Predforte anti-inflammatory
drops, use one drop every two hours for
the first day then four times a day for
five days. Shake the bottle before
use. Preservative free lubricating
drops (Refresh Plus) can be used every hour
and as needed for feeling of dry
eyes. If you are using all
the drops at the same time, use five minutes
interval between two drops. To instill the
eye drops, pullout lower eyelid and instill
the drop gently. Blot dry the excess rolled
over drop on your face. Do not rub
or put pressure on your eye. |
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Q: How will I
see immediately after surgery? |
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A:
Immediately following surgery, patients
often comment that, although they can see,
their sight is similar to opening their
eyes under water. This lasts for a few hours,
and then dramatically improves the day after
surgery, and weekly after that.
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Q: How will my
eyes feel following LASIK? |
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A: These are
the most common symptoms:
- Slight swelling,
drooping of the eyelid(s),
- Redness and tearing
of the operated eye(s),
- Light sensitivity
(use dark glasses to avoid this),
- Variable vision
for the first few weeks after surgery,
- Difficulty with
near vision, and
- Tenderness to
touch for few weeks.
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Q: What precautions
should I take following surgery? |
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A:
Take the following precautions:
- Use eye drops as directed,
- Wear the eye shield while sleeping
for seven days. Use tape to hold
the shield in place,
- Do not use make-up, sun block,
moisturizers etc. on or around
the eye for seven days following
surgery,
- You may shower or shampoo but
keep your eyes closed for first
two weeks. Soap or shampoo should
not go inside your eye. After
shower, very carefully dry the
face without pulling your eye.
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Q: How soon can
I resume my normal activities following LASIK surgery? |
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A:
These are some guidelines for resuming
your normal activities:
- Ocean swimming, Scuba diving,
Surfing, Water skiing (after 4 weeks),
- Pool swimming (after 2 weeks),
- Aerobics, Running, Biking (after
1-2 days),
- Construction work, Exposure to
heavy dust or chemicals (after 1
week),
- Eye makeup (after 1 week),
- Keep your eyes closed during shower
or shampoo, and
- Avoid touching your eyeball.
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Q: How soon can
I take a bath or shower after surgery? |
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| A:
You can take shower or bath the day after
surgery. Avoid getting soap or water in your
eyes. |
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Q: How soon can
I start exercising after surgery? |
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| A:
You may resume exercises as you
wish. Don't get sweat in your eyes. Try
to keep your hands clean and away from your
eyes. Swimming, however, should be avoided
for at least two weeks. |
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Q: When can I
wear eye makeup after surgery? |
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A:
It is a good idea to buy new mascara
after surgery to avoid infection
and it is best to wait for 1 week before
using eye makeup. |
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Q: How soon can
I drive after surgery? |
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| A:
You can resume driving as you feel
comfortable with your vision. About 90%
of patients are able to drive on their own
on the day following LASIK. With PRK, it
usually takes about 4-5 days to feel comfortable.
You should avoid driving while under the
influence of any medications taken following
surgery. |
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