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After Surgery
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Drop Schedule
Eye drops similar to those administered prior to surgery will need to be
administered for the first couple of weeks following the lasik procedure.
These eye drops are very important and should be used as directed by the
physician. They will assist your eyes during the healing process. You MUST
NOT stop or change the frequency of any of the drops given to you
unless specifically instructed to do so by the physician. Failure to administer
drops as directed may compromise the health of your eyes by making you vulnerable
to infection, edema (itching or scratch sensation), and dryness.
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Medication
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Regimen
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Acular LS
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1 drop in each operated eye, morning and evening,
for two days
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Zymar
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1 drop in each operated eye 4 times a day
for five days. Scheduling drops around meal and bed times
may make it easier to remember
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Pred Forte
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1 drop in each operated eye every 2 hours
for five days.
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Preservative Free
Artificial Tears
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One drop in each eye every 30 minutes the
day following surgery, and then every hour from day 2 through
14
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*Patients do not need to wake up in order
to administer drops
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Post-Surgery Activities
During the days and weeks following surgery you should:
NOT rub or bump your eyes. This is very important throughout the first month
following surgery.
Remember that your eyes are fragile and you should be very protective of
them during the next 3 months.
You may shower the day following the procedure, but you should avoid getting
water and/or soap in them for the next two weeks.
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Driving is acceptable if visual recovery is adequate. This will
be determined at the post operative check-up.
Flying in airplanes is acceptable. During flight you should keep your
eyes generously lubricated (use preservative free tears every 30 minutes)
as cabin air tends to be very dry.
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You may return to the office and computer work the next day. Once again,
you must lubricate your eyes frequently. Prolonged reading or staring at
a computer screen will dry the eyes.
Avoid dusty, dirty environments for at least one week. If you work in a
dusty or dirty environment, you should check with the doctor before returning
to work.
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Wear sunglasses while outdoors to increase eye protection and to
avoid accidental injury. |
You may apply facial moisturizer and light face make up, but NO EYE MAKE-UP
MAY BE WORN FOR AT LEAST 7 DAYS FOLLOWING SURGERY.
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Two days following surgery it is safe to participate in light physical
exercise as long as there is no risk of injuring the eyes.
Seven days following surgery you may resume swimming, boating, sailing,
motorcycling, snorkeling and baseball. PROCTECTIVE EYEWEAR MUST BE
WORN WHERE APPROPRIATE. |
14 days after surgery you may, so long as protective eyewear is worn, play
racquet sports, basketball, football, soccer and water-ski.
The Post-op Visit
In addition to the eye drop regimen, you will need to return to our office
the day following your surgery for a post operative examination. During
this examination the doctor will test your visual acuity, verify the position
of the corneal flap, and access the overall condition of the cornea. From
this evaluation, the doctor, if deemed necessary, may adjust your eye drop
regimen. This is the only time you should deviate from the original eye
drop schedule.
Your vision will be relatively clear, but not as clear as it will become
during the next few weeks. Generally, recovery of vision and stability typically
peak around the third month marker. In high myopic and hyperopic cases,
it is not uncommon for the process to take a little longer.
Remember, everyone heals at their own rate. The final outcome may come sooner
for some patients and later for others. Typically, good vision is achieved
quickly and painlessly. Do not panic if you do not have the results you
were expecting immediately. We will work with you to insure your experience
is as comfortable and rewarding as possible.
You should expect to see nighttime glares and halos during the first few
weeks following surgery. In most cases these quickly diminish and are rarely
permanent. However, glares and halos may persist in patients who were severely
myopic or had very strong astigmatisms prior to surgery. New technology,
referred to as Custom Lasik, is available to help diminish the likelihood
of any long term nighttime effect. Ask your doctor prior to surgery if you
are a candidate Custom Lasik.
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