Dear Respected Patient,

Please read this handout on the day you receive it and prior to the surgery.

Please obtain all your eye drops and artificial tears before the day of surgery (this will be provided for you closer to the surgery date). People who are prepared for surgery and who take part in their care enjoy a better experience and can recover in less time with fewer or no problems. The information in this handout will help to get you, your family, and your home ready for surgery.

Thank you for allowing us to help with your care. We wish you a pleasant surgical experience and a quick recovery.

Sincerely,

Team Clarity Laser Vision

1. Please stop contact lens wear before surgery.
   1. Hard contact lenses must be stopped 4 weeks before. Soft contact lenses 1 week before.
2. Lid cleanliness:
   1. Please remove eyelash extensions and avoid false eyelashes a minimum of 2 weeks before surgery. You can resume 4 weeks after surgery.
   2. Please ensure the lash line is clean from makeup and debris. It is recommended to use an eyelid wipe or gentle cleanser to the lash line every evening for 3 nights before surgery. Lid wipes are available over the counter at most pharmacies and grocery stores.
3. Before the day of surgery, please arrange to have a responsible person to
   1. Bring you to and from the surgical centre on surgery day and the next day for your one day follow up. You will NOT be allowed to drive yourself home or take a bus.
   2. Help you after surgery with daily activities and post-operative eye drops.

4. Medications
   1. Your prescriptions will be faxed to your pharmacy the week before surgery. We will ask the pharmacy to give you a call when all medications are ready for you to pick up. You are 1 responsible for the cost of your medications at the pharmacy. It is recommended to have acetaminophen (Tylenol®) at home to use if you have discomfort after surgery.
   2. Dr. Al-Ghoul has prescribed the use of Vigamox/Moxifloxacin and non-preservative artificial tears before surgery. Non-preservative artificial tears are available over the counter at most drug and grocery stores.
   3. Please start the non-preservative artificial tears 4 x per day at least 3 days before your surgery. If you were diagnosed with dry eye at your assessment, you may have received instructions to start at dry eye drop (Restasis/Xiidra/Cequa) least 14 days before your surgery.
   4. Please start the Vigamox/Moxifloxacin 4 x per day, 3 days before your surgery.
5. Please, NO FOOD AFTER MIDNIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY.
   1. No solid food, and no smoking after midnight the night before your surgery. If this rule is not strictly followed, your surgery may be cancelled.
   2. Up to 4 hours before your surgery you can have clear fluids: Sips of black coffee/tea, apple juice and water. Please no sugar, cream, or other dairy products/substitutes.
   3. No alcoholic beverages or cannabis for 24 hours before surgery.
6. Please take all your regular medications with small sips of water only the morning of your surgery. I you have special instructions from your family physician for your medication please let us know so we can collaborate care. If you are currently using prescribed eye drops, please ask your surgeon for specific directions about stopping or continuing these after the surgery.
   1. If you are on Insulin: DO NOT TAKE INSULIN (please bring it with you to take after surgery). When your surgery is booked, please remind us that you are on insulin so we can appropriately arrange your arrival time.
7. A post-operative kit is provided to you on surgery day that includes:
   
   
   1. Protective sunglasses
   2. 2 eye shields for bedtime
   3. A roll of tape to adhere the shields
   4. 1 box of nonpreservative artificial tears

   The nurse will review your surgery medications and instructions with you again on surgery day.

What to Bring and Wear

• Please bring your Alberta Health Care Card and a form of photo ID.
• Please bring payment by Cash, Debit, Visa, MasterCard, Bank Draft or Certified Cheque (make payment to Ahmed Al-Ghoul Professional Corporation). Make sure to check your bank re: your daily spending limits to allow for surgery payment. Personal cheques are NOT accepted.
• If you have long hair, bring a hair tie.
• Please wear comfortable clothing (e.g. loose pants and top with short or loose sleeves, and low-heeled,non-slip shoes). We will be checking your blood pressure throughout your surgery so please ensure you can comfortably remove your arm from bulky sleeves & sweaters.
• Please DO NOT WEAR loose jewelry, make-up or false eyelashes. Face cream is okay. Acrylic nails and nail polish are okay, but please avoid dark colored, metallic polish.
• Please bring your medicated eye drops with you on surgery day.

What to Expect

• The surgery takes about 20-30 minutes per eye. Expect to be at Clarity Laser Vision for about 2 hours before you are discharged.
• Before surgery you will meet with Dr. Al-Ghoul. He may make specific marks on your eye’s surface before surgery to ensure exact and accurate positioning.
• You will walk with a nurse into/out of the operating room.
• In the operating room, you will be laid down on a bed, monitors are placed, your eye will be cleaned, and your face will be covered with a sterile drape.
• The eyelid (of the operated eye) is kept open with a small, comfortable clip while the other eye is patched. Dr. Al-Ghoul will instruct you to keep both eyes open (under the drape) and look towards the two microscope lights. The lights may move or fade in/out during surgery.
• During surgery, you may experience a mild pressure or pulling sensation, fluid bathing your eye and face, see unusual shapes, movements, and/or very brilliant colors.

Immediately After Surgery

• After surgery, a shield is placed over your eye and held with tape. You will be moved to the recovery area where the nurses will check on you.
• Before you go home, your nurse will review discharge instructions and ensure you have filled your prescription for eye drop medications and all of your questions are answered.
• You are discharged when you are alert and stable.
• Your vision will be blurry and begin to improve the following morning. Redness of the white part of the eye is also normal.
• You may eat and drink normally. Resume taking all your regular medications and the ones prescribed for the operated eye. For discomfort, please use Tylenol® as directed

When using two or more eye drops, always wait 2-5 minutes after instilling the first eye drop before instilling the next one. Only one drop from each bottle is required each time. Use the chart below to track drops by filling in a circle every time you use an eye drop.

Use the chart below to track drops by filling in a circle every time you use an eye drop

Use the chart below to track drops by filling in a circle every time you use an eye drop

Please read the following to ensure you understand the commitment to have Refractive Lens Exchange surgery with the Light Adjustable Lenses.

LAL’s are a sophisticated lens that allows us to provide custom vision and a broader spectrum of near, intermediate and distance vision without the higher risk of halos and glare.

When having LAL’s you will need to take into consideration the following mandatory appointments and post operative procedures.

1. You will need to wear one of the 3 UV glasses provided on surgery day at all times during waking hours. This excludes activities like showering and sleeping. This is for the full duration of post operative appointments which can be 9+ weeks.
2. Your postoperative schedule will consist of the following appointments: 1 day, 1 week and 1 month follow up. At the 1 month follow up we will also be starting your LAL adjustment appointments.
3. Your adjustment appointments cannot start until 1 month post surgery. At which point you will be booked 1 time per week for 5 weeks. **please note your treatment could extend beyond 5 weeks if the Doctor is unable to move forward with the treatment that day. (this could be because of many factors)
4. Your adjustment appointments will be anywhere from 2.5 – 3 hours long. You will also be dilated at every appointment so you will require a driver for each appointment.

If you do not think you can commit to these guidelines please let us know and we will find an alternative option that will fit better into your schedule.