Checklist: What to do Before Your Laser Eye Surgery
You’ve decided to get corrective laser eye surgery. Maybe it’s LASIK, PRK, or even better – Advanced Surface Ablation. You’ve chosen a surgeon and have a surgery date. Now for the final preparation.
What are all the little things you should do to make this go as smoothly as possible?
No surgery is completely free of anxiety. But by choosing a communicative, top-rated ophthalmologist and being proactive about all the factors in your control, you’ll eliminate surprises and reduce the stress of your operation.
That’s what this checklist is for.
Print it and check the boxes as you take care of each detail. The more boxes you check, the more confident you’ll feel when you walk into the surgeon’s office, and the fewer unpleasant surprises you’ll experience!
The week before your Laser Vision Correction procedure:
Don’t wear contact lenses.
Pick up the prescription eye drops you’ll use after your laser eye surgery.
Buy PLENTY of artificial tears if your surgeon recommended them. Past patients swear by them.
Buy an extra box of tissues.
Buy non-prescription polarized sunglasses if you don’t have any.
Buy over-the-counter pain medication like Tylenol if you don’t have any at home.
Line up a reliable ride to and from your surgery. You WON’T be driving yourself home and shouldn’t depend on public transportation. Ideally, you’ll be chilling out in the passenger seat of a car with your eyes closed until someone’s soothing voice announces, “hey, you’re home, get out of my car.”
Inform your boss and coworkers that of the date of your surgery. Take time off. Depending on the type of surgery you get – ASA, PRK, or LASIK – you will need to take a few days off work – especially if you work on a computer screen.
If you’re unsure about what to expect from your eyes after surgery, ask your surgeon. Then make plans now for post-op meals and activities so your eyes and body can get ample rest after your surgery.
Shop for all the groceries you’ll need for the week after your surgery.
Consider purchasing a cool humidifier.
Take what you’ve learned about the actual surgery and try your hardest to imagine yourself going through it, minute-by-minute. One patient said, “The most nerve-wracking thing for me was not knowing what to expect. Even though I had talked to many friends about LASIK, there was still nothing like experiencing it yourself.”
The day before your procedure:
Do laundry and prepare post-op meals and comfort snacks so you can relax after your surgery.
Remind your driver of your surgery and confirm they’re ready to be your chauffeur.
Remind your boss of your surgery.
Download a few podcasts and/or audiobooks.
Abstain from drinking alcohol or smoking. Tomorrow is not the day to be dehydrated or jittery if you can help it.
Try to get seven or eight hours of sleep.
The day of your procedure:
Don’t apply any makeup.
Dress comfortably so you aren’t distracted by clothing that’s too tight, or that makes you too warm or cold.
Eat a good meal so you’re not hungry after surgery when you should be resting.
Important: remember to bring any prescribed pain relief medication to the doctor’s office.
Just before your procedure:
Drink a glass of water.
Ask your surgeon what you might see and smell during the surgery so you won’t be concerned when it happens.
Still have questions?
That’s what I’m here for. If you live in the New York City or Tri-State area, set up a free consultation with me. You can also check out our Guide to Getting LASIK in New York City.
