Are you counting down the days until your LASIK eye surgery? Do you think it is time to start preparing for the procedure?
It is important to take the time to prepare before any surgical procedure. This will help you remain calm and allow LASIK to be more successful.
Your vision is important! That’s why it is very common to be nervous and anxious about having a procedure performed on your eyes.
While LASIK is well known and has incredible success rates, there are things that you can do to prepare for it. Keep reading to learn about a few tips to prepare for LASIK beforehand!
One Month Before LASIK
- Drink more water. Water helps decrease the symptoms associated with dry eye after LASIK. Dry eye is a very common side effect for many patients.
- Get more sleep. Sleep is the time that your body takes to heal so it will make recovery and healing from LASIK much easier.
- Find things you can listen to while you are recovering from LASIK. This includes good music and audiobooks. Post-surgery, your eyes might be sore and tired. This makes reading or watching movies uncomfortable, which is why listening to things is ideal.
- Stop wearing soft contacts at least two weeks before surgery, as contacts can temporarily change the shape of your cornea. Listen to what your doctor instructs you to do.
- If you wear gas permeable lenses, most doctors recommend that you stop using them three to four weeks before pre-surgery. This type of lens causes significant changes to your corneas.
- If you work, you will need to request time off. After LASIK, you need to relax to allow your eyes to heal. Ask your doctors how much time you need to request off before submitting anything. For most people, a day or two is enough.
The Day Before Having LASIK
- Arrange to have someone drive you home after LASIK. Once the procedure is over, you will not be able to drive, so you will need help going home. Your eyes will heal after a few days and you will be able to drive again.
- Avoid using makeup, cream, perfume, and lotion. These products can result in particles getting in your eyes. You need to keep your eyes clean before you have LASIK. To make sure your eyes are clean, some doctors have patients wash their eyes pre-surgery to help prevent infections.
- Select a comfortable outfit to wear to your procedure. You want to be comfortable for and after having LASIK. Do not worry about being stylish. Having an outfit picked out will help you save time the day of your procedure and is one less thing to worry about. You should avoid clothes made from materials that shed. There’s a chance the fibers could get into your eyes.
- Know how you are paying for LASIK. Make sure you have prepaid or set up your preferred payment option.
- Make sure to ask any questions you have before undergoing your vision correction procedure. Write them down, so you do not forget!
Day of Your LASIK procedure
- Stay calm. It is common to be nervous before any surgical procedure, and your surgeon wants you to be relaxed. For some patients, they need to use an anti-anxiety medicine. If you are too nervous, tell your doctor and they can give you something like Valium to calm your nerves.
- Have a small meal before surgery. Ask your doctor if it is okay to take your usual prescriptions. Most doctors will let patients.
Are you ready to make an appointment for a LASIK surgery consultation? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Metro Eye Care in Paramus, NJ!
Wouldn’t it be great to see clearly in 2021? LASIK could be the perfect way to achieve the vision you’ve always wanted!
