Surgery Instructions

Pre, Day of, and Post Operative Instructions for Vision Correction Surgery in Houston, TX

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Preoperative Instructions

1. Obtain the antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops prescribe by your doctor. Bring them with you the day of the procedure.
2. Stop wearing rigid contact lenses three weeks or more before surgery.
3. Stop wearing soft contact lenses three days or more before surgery.
4. Stop wearing eye cosmetics three days before surgery and keep your eyelids especially clean during this time.
5. Inform our doctor if you are or you plan to become pregnant before your procedure.
6. The evening before the procedure, clean your eyelids with a warm washcloth.
7. Have some aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or Tylenol around to take when you come home after the procedure.
8. These preoperative instructions are generic. Contact our doctor’s office for any additional instructions or exceptions to these instructions.

Day of Surgery Instructions

1. Dress comfortably.
2. Bring a jacket or sweater, as the procedure room may be cool.
3. Do not apply any foundation, sun block, facial cream, lotion, perfume, cologne, after-shave, hair spray, or cosmetics. Come in with a clean face and eyelids.
4. Arrive at our office at the time of your scheduled appointment with a “responsible adult” who can drive you home after the procedure. You should not try to drive yourself home.
5. Bring the antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops that our doctor prescribed with you.
6. Plan to be at our clinic for about an hour and a half.
7. Do not plan any significant activities the rest of the day. Go home. Get into a relatively dark room. Rest or sleep for the next five to six hours. Keep your eyes gently closed during this time.
8. Take aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or Tylenol as needed to manage any eye discomfort or pain you experience.
9. Do not rub your eyes after the procedure!
10. If a bandage contact lens is placed in either eye, leave it in and sleep with it until your doctor removes it.
11. Do not take a shower or get any water into your eyes for the next 24 hours.
12. These day-of-surgery instructions are generic. Contact your doctor’s office for any additional instructions or exceptions to these instructions.

Postoperative Instructions

1. Do not rub your eyes! This is extremely important for all patients. Do not rub your eyes for two months or until your doctor says it’s safe.
2. Avoid squeezing your eyelids tightly together. Rather, close them gently and blink normally.
3. Wear the sunglasses provided in the postoperative kit when you leave the Laser Refractive Center.
4. Do not drive a car the day of surgery. You may resume driving the following day if you feel your vision is sufficiently improved to do so safely.
5. Do not plan any significant activities immediately after the procedure. Go home. Get into a relatively dark room. Rest or sleep for the next five to six hours, keeping your eyes closed gently during this time.
6. Pain or discomfort varies considerably following refractive surgery. Light sensitivity varies from person to person as well, and most patients experience redness and tearing for the first 24 hours. Take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or Tylenol as needed to manage any eye discomfort or pain that you experience.
7. If a bandage contact lens was placed in either eye, leave it alone until your doctor removes it. If it falls or blinks out, simply leave it out. If your pain level increases substantially as a result, inform your doctor.
8. Instill the antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops prescribed by our doctor four times a day for one week. Shake the anti-inflammatory medication. An easy routine to follow is to instill the drops at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime. Instill the two medications five minutes apart. The order is not important. Only one drop needs to land in your eye. If you miss your eye, do it again. You can’t overdo it. The drops will sting or burn the first day or two that you use them. If you want to increase the chances of landing the drops in your eye on the first attempt, lie flat and pull your lower lid down before you instill them.
9. Wear the protective goggles provided in the postoperative kit whenever you nap or sleep during the first 24 hours. You may wear them up to one week if you like.
10. Avoid showering and getting water into your eyes for the next 24 hours. After that, it will be safe to shower but you should keep your eyes closed and the water out. While it is inevitable that some water will get in through your closed eyelids, try to limit the amount. When you go to dry yourself with a towel, wipe or press around the bony part of the eye socket as much as you like, but don’t press on the eye itself. Try to keep water out of your eyes for one week.
11. Do not swim with your eyes open under water for the first two weeks following the procedure.
12. You may return to work or school the following day if your vision and comfort level allows.
13. Do not wear any eye makeup for the first two weeks following the procedure. Thereafter, take care to avoid side-to-side rubbing over the corneas when removing makeup.
14. Expect your vision to fluctuate for the first month or more following the procedure. Often there will be halos around lights at night and your vision may fluctuate over the course of the day. Your eyes may also feel dry for up to three or four months. All of this is normal. If the dryness is bothersome, instill over-the-counter artificial tears in between the medication eye drops. Once you finish the medication eye drops, you can instill artificial tears anytime you have dryness symptoms.
15. Our doctor’s office will arrange all follow up visits. Please make sure you make it to all recommended follow up visits.
16. If you have a restriction on your driver’s license that requires you to wear optical correction when driving, be sure to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles and have the restriction removed once your vision is stable.
17. These postoperative instructions are generic. Contact our doctor’s office for any additional instructions or exceptions to these instructions.