eye exam with eye doctor

Preparing for Vision Correction Surgery

Preparing For Your LASIK Eye Surgery Procedure

Have you decided to join the millions of patients who’ve also chose The Lasik Vision Institute as their laser vision correction provider? Congratulations! Click the green button below to schedule your free LASIK consultation or continue to read on to learn how to prepare for your LASIK eye surgery procedure.

Schedule Your Free LASIK Consultation

Before your vision correction surgery:

Ask your doctor when you should stop wearing your contact lenses.
Certain types of contact lenses can distort the shape of your cornea, which could lead to incorrect measurements, and thus affect your vision correction outcome.  If you wear contact lenses, you will need to be prepared to stop wearing them (or switch them out for your glasses) for anywhere from one day up to a couple of weeks prior to your LASIK vision correction.

  • Do you wear hard contacts?
    You will likely need to stop wearing them four to eight weeks prior to LASIK procedure. This varies by patient, please consult your surgeon.
  • Do you wear soft contacts?
    You will only need to stop wearing them one day  prior to your LASIK surgery, providing your Pentacam/Orbscan is normal.

Arrange for a ride.
On the day of your laser vision correction, you will need someone to drive you home from the procedure. Make sure you’ve enlisted a friend or family member to pick you up. Following your vision correction, you vision may be blurry, and you may still feel the effects of the medicine used during the LASIK procedure.

On the day of your laser vision correction surgery:

Do not wear eye makeup.
You should not wear eye makeup (or use eye creams) the night before or the day of your laser vision correction. You should also avoid using perfume or cologne.

Avoid shedding fabrics.
When choosing an outfit for your laser vision correction surgery, choose something that is comfortable, but does not shed, or have loose fibers or animal hair (real or faux).

Eat and drink as usual—with one exception.
There is no need to fast prior to laser vision correction. However, you should not drink alcohol or take medication which may cause drowsiness prior to your vision correction.

Leave yourself plenty of time.
While the actual laser vision correction surgery can take minutes, be sure you have arrived in plenty of time to complete any intake procedure, including filling out paperwork. Your LASIK provider will designate a time for you to report on the day of your laser vision correction.

After your vision correction surgery:

Congratulations! Now that you have completed your laser eye surgery, take these simple LASIK recovery steps so that your eyes can perform their best.

After your successful laser eye surgery, have a friend drive you home and wear your sunglasses. Rest your eyes and keep them closed so that they are comfortable.Ideally you will want to keep your eyes closed for 2 to 4 hours as part of the immediate LASIK recovery process. Thus taking a nap and wearing your clear plastic shields will assist with the recovery process. You may experience mild sensitivity for a few hours but there should be minimal discomfort. After 2-4 hours, remove the plastic shields and, as directed by your surgeon, begin using your prescribed eye drops for healing and to keep your eyes comfortable, and lubricated.

Avoid rubbing, squeezing or touching your eyes after LASIK surgery, since the surface of your eyes are still sensitive. Wear your plastic shields when sleeping and if your eyes are sensitive to light, wear your sunglasses. If your eyes become dry or irritated, use your preservative-free artificial tears to help keep your eyes comfortable.

LASIK surgeons recommend resting for the first 24 hours following your laser eye surgery. So avoid reading, computer work, strenuous activity, and television during this period.Don’t take a shower the first day and avoid getting soap and water in your eyes for several days.Make sure you take any prescription medicine your doctor may prescribe, as directed.Learn about 1 Day After LASIK eye surgery.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you will be well prepared for your laser vision correction surgery. Remember to contact your LASIK provider with any questions or concerns leading up to your vision correction surgery.