Jun 25, 2010
Preparing for Laser Eye Surgery
There are several necessary preparations in the preoperative period. To minimize the risks, there are some measures that are undertaken prior to the operation.
The operation itself involves creating a thin flap on the eye, folding it to enable remodeling of the tissue beneath with a laser. The flap is repositioned and the eye is left to heal in the postoperative period. This is essentially what laser eye surgery is all about.
Preoperative Lasik Surgery
Patients wearing soft contact lenses are usually instructed to stop wearing them 5 to 21 days before surgery. One industry body recommends that patients wearing hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts have been worn.[6] Before the surgery, the patient’s corneas are examined with a pachymeter to determine their thickness, and with a topographer to measure their surface contour. Using low-power lasers, a topographer creates a topographic map of the cornea. This process also detects astigmatism and other irregularities in the shape of the cornea. Using this information, the surgeon calculates the amount and the locations of corneal tissue to be removed during the operation. The patient typically is prescribed and self-administers an antibiotic beforehand to minimize the risk of infection after the procedure.