Contact Lens Removal Protocols for LASIK
If you have friends or family who wear contatcts lenses and want to find out if LASIK is right for them then you may already know that LASIK doctors will request patient’s to stop wearing contact lenses before having the LASIK eye surgery. This may seem like an insignificant request and you may even question the necessity of following through on the doctor’s orders, however, it is very important to listen to your doctor’s orders because wearing your contact lenses in the days leading up to surgery could affect the accuracy and success of your LASIK procedure.
Contact Lenses Temporarily Change your Cornea Shape
Contact lenses can temporarily change the shape of your cornea. This could compromise the accuracy of the surgery if the measurements during the exam are not precise. Therefore, it is important to listen to your doctor and stop wearing your contact lenses before LASIK surgery. During a pre-operative examination the doctor will take measurements of your eye and will evaluate the curvature of your cornea. These measurements taken before surgery are taken to ensure accuracy during your LASIK procedure.
How long you must go without your contacts prior to surgery will depend on what type of contact lenses you wear. Typically, if you wear soft contact lenses you will to stop wearing them two weeks prior to surgery. For Toric soft lenses or rigid soft lenses, you must stop wearing them three weeks prior to surgery. For hard contact lenses you will need to stop wearing them four weeks prior to surgery.
Following the Doctor’s Advice is Vital to Successful LASIK
It may be difficult to give up wearing contact lenses for a few weeks prior to surgery, especially when you do not usually wear your glasses. One of the main things you can do as a patient to ensure accuracy is to stop wearing your contacts when your doctor recommends you to stop. Following all the doctor’s instructions before surgery is vital to the success of your LASIK. Your doctor will most likely make other recommendations prior to surgery that are meant to help minimize any risks or LASIK complications.
Your LASIK doctor will most likely ask you to stop using make-up, perfume or lotion in the days leading up to your LASIK eye surgery. Using these products may increase the risk for infection after LASIK. Following all the doctor’s instructions before surgery is vital to the success of your LASIK eye surgery procedure.
However, a small percentage of LASIK patients who receive good results after surgery are in need of glasses or contact lenses to help aid their vision. The more accurate the procedure, the less likely it is that a patient will still need the aid of glasses or contact lenses after surgery.
