Not a day goes by without being asked about what kind of care is needed before and after LASIK laser eye surgery. Tonight after i finished calling some of today’s patients, it occurred that the fear of preparation and post care is a big factor in keeping prospective patients from having the surgery. Well, fear no more! The preparation and post care couldn’t be easier. I just operated on a firefighter today from Fairfax, Va, and he told me that he has already been to his evening class, and is absolutely floored how easy this whole process is. We do a very important preop examination at our Tysons Corner, Va, office, and identify any possible problem areas. If you have dry eyes, we will pre-treat you with Restasis eye drops and also recommend Omega 3 fish oils, and eye lubricants as well. These are the mainstay of the prep for dry eye patients. Everyone will also use an antibiotic drop the day prior to surgery as well as another eye drop twice a day for inflammation control. Some patients that are over 35 years old are given a special ointment to use at bedtime for one week as well. Then you have the procedure! The process at our office is professional and made to make you feel comfortable and relaxed! A xanax pill is given and i coach you through the procedure, always listening to good music at the same time! You should get home quickly as the eyes can sting and tear immediately afterwards, but we give a numbing drop to go home with that you can use if needed. A 3 hour nap is important, and when you wake up, it is a miracle, you feel great and you can SEE! Most everyone can drive the next day and are back to work also. Vision might be a little hazy for a few days, but it is certainly clear enough to function, and it clears very rapidly. The Intralase and Custom Visx/ Allegretto Wave lasers are outstanding and the vision is rapidl to return. 1 week of those prescription eye drops is all that is needed. Post op, no rubbing for a few weeks and no swimming for 2 weeks, but all else is OK! exercise all you want, just don’t rub the eyes! If you don’t believe me, read all of our blog posts, or check out our Facebook page to read patient testimonials. It really is easy to go through and my fantastic staff and I make the process very comfortable and relaxing.
Today was another great day operating and meeting very special people from Arlington, Gainesville, Rockville, DC, and Springfield. I operated on a nurse, a firefighter, a personal trainer, a massage therapist, a pilot and several State Dept employees heading oversees. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I can help more people in the DC area experience the miracle of LASIK with us at Tysons!
