Are you looking into or scheduling eye surgery? Whether you want to correct your nearsightedness or ditch the reading glasses, eye surgery can be a great solution for those of many ages and sight ranges. However, you should be aware of a few things to improve the process and make sure it is the right fit. Consulting with an eye surgeon early in the process can help you understand your options and guide you through the best treatment plans available. If you are looking into eye surgery yourself or for a loved one, here are three things you need to know before eye surgery.
Most Procedures Are Quick
While it depends on the type of surgery, many eye correction procedures are very quick operations. In fact, one of the most common eye surgeries usually only lasts about 30 minutes. The procedure is relatively simple as well—it’s so short that anesthesia is not necessary. Instead, your surgeon will administer numbing eye drops to your eyes, and you’ll be awake for the procedure.
Despite it’s short nature, it’s still a good idea to make sure you have someone available to care for you after the surgery for a day or two. Your vision may take a little bit of time to adapt and you may find yourself struggling with certain tasks due to this. Having someone on-call also means that in the event something does go wrong or you cause damage to your eye, you will have someone who can call for help or take you to the hospital.
You’ll Need Time To Heal
While the recovery process for most eye surgeries is relatively short, you’ll still want to prepare ample time to allow your eyes to heal. Your doctor may prescribe eye drops to prevent infection. You will also want to take several precautions to preclude further complications, such as avoiding rigorous sports and other activities for at least four weeks, depending on the activity. To prevent infection, you’ll also need to skip your usual lotion and makeup routine for up to two weeks. As one more example of healing precautions, you should also avoid swimming pools and hot tubs for at least one or two months. For a full list of recovery precautions, talk to your eye surgeon.
Where To Learn More
You’ll want to reach out to your ophthalmologist (not to be confused with optometrist), or eye surgeon, for information regarding the surgery. Before you even commit to your eye surgery provider, make sure to research their qualifications. The ophthalmologist should be experienced, have good reviews and credibility, and have board certification. Whether you want to know more about pre-surgery preparations or post-surgery recovery practices, a qualified ophthalmologist will be able to answer all your questions.
Eye surgery may seem scary to some, but the procedure itself is quite simple. If anything, the healing process takes the longest and has the most restrictions. Make sure you ask your ophthalmologist about all the things you need to know before eye surgery and how to have a safe and effective recovery period.
