How Long Before LASIK Surgery Do I Need to Take My Contacts Out?

    CHICAGO, IL, January 20, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Some of the most common questions about LASIK involve the surgery and contact usage. If you have traditionally worn contacts instead of glasses, you will want to discuss this with your ophthalmologist during your initial LASIK consultation. There are different considerations for people who wear contacts, and your eye doctor will best be able to instruct you as to when you should discontinue use to minimize complications with your LASIK surgery.

When to Remove Contacts
As a general rule, most eye doctors will recommend you discontinue wearing soft contact lenses three to four days prior to LASIK surgery. Some doctors may recommend two to three weeks. Contacts can cause irregularities in your cornea. Because your LASIK relies on precise calculations, your cornea will need to have returned to its natural state prior to the surgery.

Hard contact lenses generally need to be removed four to six weeks prior to surgery. This is because hard lenses can actually reshape your cornea, requiring more time for your cornea to return to its natural state. Depending on the strength of your prescription, the length of time you have worn contacts, and the extent of your refractive error, you eye doctor may even recommend eight to twelve weeks without contacts prior to surgery. This decision is best made by an experienced ophthalmologist, and will be catered to address your unique needs.

During the period leading up to your LASIK, you can still wear glasses. Because glasses do not make contact with your eye, they will not produce the same difficulties as contacts before your LASIK surgery. Some patients may still require glasses after their LASIK surgery for close-up tasks. Your eye doctor will discuss this possibility with you prior to your LASIK surgery.

After LASIK
If the results of your LASIK do not provide optimal vision, you may be a candidate for LASIK enhancement surgery. If your cornea is too thin, or other medical considerations eliminate this option, it is possible that you will still require contacts after LASIK. This is a rare occurrence, but not entirely impossible. However, the contacts you wore prior to LASIK should not be worn after surgery. Should you require contacts after LASIK surgery, your eye doctor will be able to fit you with a new prescription that will provide clear vision.

If you live in or around Arlington Heights or Chicago, Illinois and would like to learn more about LASIK surgery, please visit the website of Doctors for Visual Freedom for additional information at www.doctorsforvisualfreedom.com.

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