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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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How you prepare
By Mayo Clinic staffTo prepare for LASIK eye surgery:
- Stop wearing your contact lenses. If you wear contact lenses, you'll need to switch to glasses full time for at least a few weeks before your surgery. Contact lenses can distort the shape of your cornea, which could lead to inaccurate measurements and a poor surgical outcome. Your doctor will provide specific guidelines depending on your personal circumstances and how long you've been a contact lens wearer.
- Skip the eye makeup. Don't use eye makeup or eye cream on the day before and the day of your surgery. Your doctor may also instruct you to clean your eyelashes daily or more often in the days leading up to surgery, to remove debris and minimize your risk of infection.
- Arrange for a ride home. You'll need to have someone drive you to and from your surgery. Immediately after surgery, you might still feel the effects of medicine given to you before surgery, and your vision may be blurry.
- Know what surgery may cost you. LASIK eye surgery is usually considered elective surgery — not vital to your health and well-being — so Medicare and most insurance companies won't cover the cost of the surgery. Be prepared to pay out-of-pocket for your expenses.
References
- Bower KS. Laser refractive surgery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 4, 2008.
- Sakimoto T, et al. Laser eye surgery for refractive errors. The Lancet. 2006;367:1432.
- Doane JF, et al. LASIK: Indications and techniques. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby, Inc.; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/109505671-2/0/1197/24.html?tocnode=50819839&fromURL=24.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01634-0..50024-9_519. Accessed Nov. 4, 2008.
- Wavefront-guided LASIK. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ5NVRIREE&sub_cat=0. Accessed Nov. 4, 2008.
- What should I expect before, during, and after surgery? U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/LASIK/expect.htm. Accessed Nov. 4, 2008.
- Schallhorn SC, et al. Perspective: Avoidance, recognition, and management of LASIK complications. American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2006;141:733.
