PRE-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation for surgery

• Do not wear soft contact lenses for at least four days or hard/rigid contact lenses for at least two weeks prior to surgery.
• One day before surgery, begin lid scrubs twice a day (when you get up in early morning and when you go to bed in night time) as follows:
  • Heat a clean washcloth with warm water and wrap the cloth around your index finger;
  • Close your eyes and gently scrub along the upper and lower lash lines, rubbing 15 to 20 times.
• Do not wear eye makeup from this moment.
• Please shower and wash your hair in the day before surgery or in the morning of surgery.

On the day of your procedure

• Please arrive one hour before surgery for us to prepare your eyes and recheck measurements.
• Please arrange for someone to drive you home or plan on taking the taxi after your surgery. You must not drive until after your check-up day.
• We recommend eating a light meal before you arrive, but do not eat any heavy, greasy food.
• Do not wear makeup, perfume, hair spray, scented deodorant, or anything that has a fragrance, as this may affect the function of the laser.
• Do not wear your hair in a ponytail or braid on the day of surgery.
• Be sure to wear loose, comfortable, long pants and long-sleeved shirt with buttons in the front for your procedure.
• Your time in the laser suite will be about 15-20 minutes. The actual procedure is about five minutes per eye, with the remaining time for preparations. Your surgeon will be talking to you through each step of the procedure.
• Plan on being with us for approximately two hours.

POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Post-operative medications

It is important for the success of your procedure to use your eye drops as directed by your doctor. Be sure to thoroughly cleanse your hands before instilling eye drops. Always replace the caps carefully. In order to prevent contamination, it is important to avoid contact between the tip of the bottle and your eyes, eyelashes, or fingers.

• Vigadexa
This is an antibiotic and steroid combination eye drop used to prevent infection after surgery. Use one drop in the operative eye(s) four times a day for one week.

• VisMED (add picture of VisMED) – Lubricant eye drops
It is important to keep the eye(s) well lubricated following LASIK surgery since this will aid in the healing process. Use one to two drops in the operative eye(s) every hour for the first week after LASIK, then five to six times a day afterward. You may continue to use preservative free tears for up to six months after your procedure.

If one eye drop schedule happens to coincide with another, wait ten minutes between each drop.

Post-operative care instructions

• Immediately after surgery
Please go home and rest, keeping your eyes closed for 1-2 hours after surgery. DO NOT drive. Should you have any discomfort following your procedure, you may take one or two Paracetamol every 4-6 hours as needed for relief. Do not try to do computer work the first day to avoid strain. Be sure to wear your protective eye glasses every time you are outside to protect your eyes from sunlight, wind, dust and any potential injury.
For the first week, please also wear your protective glasses when you sleep to prevent accidental rubbing in your sleep.

Do not close your eyes heavily or touch or rub your eyes!

Do not worry if your eyes are watering, as this is a natural response and the tears will aid in the healing of your eyes.

A contact lens may be placed in your eye immediately following your procedure. Do not remove the contact lens. If the contact lens falls out, do not attempt to place it back on your eye. If the eye is extremely painful after the lens comes out, please contact our office immediately.

• General cleanliness
Please do not get anything in your eyes except for eye medications for one month following your surgery. Avoid using mascara and liquid eyeliner for one month. We recommend purchasing new mascara and eyeliner to prevent infection following LASIK. You may use soap and water on your face, but avoid getting them in your eyes. When you shower and shampoo your hair, make sure that you have a dry towel handy so that no water gets in the eyes. Do NOT rub your eyes.

• Follow-up schedule
You need to return for follow-up one day after surgery at our centre at _________h__________. After that, you will be scheduled to return at one week, one month, and three months. Depending on each patient’s condition, your doctor may request that you follow-up more frequently.

• The days following surgery
You may expect your vision to fluctuate during the first 1-2 weeks after LASIK. You may experience mild fogginess in dim lights or in the evening. You may experience an increased sensitivity to light. Your eyes will be drier and more easily tired with reading/computer work. These symptoms will gradually decrease with time as your eyes continue to heal.

• Physical activities
You may resume light, non-contact activities such as gym exercises, yoga, walking, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobics one week after surgery.

We recommend that you avoid playing contact or racquet sports, or when involved in any activities where there is a potential danger of getting dust, chips, fumes, etc. in the eyes, until one month after surgery unless instructed otherwise by your doctor. Avoid swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas, or any contact with possibly contaminated water for one month after your procedure.

• Questions?
If you experience any worsening symptoms such as more pain, sudden loss of vision, pus in the eye, accidental injury to the eye, or have any other concerns, please contact our office immediately.