When to Wait On Refractive Eye Surgery
October 13, 2017
There are times when our team at Clarity Laser Vision Centre may not rule out your candidacy altogether, but recommend that you hold off until this can be confirmed. When discussing candidacy, it’s important to understand that “not now” doesn’t necessarily mean you will never be a candidate for refractive eye surgery. Dr. Al-Ghoul will only give the green light to proceed with surgery once all preliminary testing confirms that it’s safe to do so. The following are categories of people who should consider the recommendation to hold off on refractive surgery as more of a “yellow light” than an absolute “no” to the possibility of candidacy:
1. People under the age of 18; and young people whose prescription has changed more than one diopter over the last year.
Your eyes are a living entity that continues to change and develop into your early 20s. Young people may experience changes in vision that require updated glasses or contact lens prescription. At this time in your life, you would want to continue to follow up with your optometrist and update your prescription as needed so you can see clearly and function normally in your day-to-day activities. We do not recommend performing refractive surgery on a “moving target,” and attempting to correct an unstable prescription means there is a chance that the eyes will continue to change following the procedure and further correction would likely be required in the future.
Our best advice? Wait until you are at least 18 and have had a stable prescription for at least a year to come in for a full, complimentary assessment to discuss your potential candidacy for refractive surgery and whether it is the right time for you and your eyes.
2. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
As we all know, pregnancy causes many changes to the human body, and this includes ocular and visual changes. Many pregnant women will notice blurred vision, dry eyes, and intolerance to wearing contact lenses, usually due to hormonal changes as well as corneal shape changes. Usually, these symptoms are temporary and will go away after pregnancy and breastfeeding; however, assessing the eyes for refractive surgery while still in these stages will often produce inaccurate measurements.
It’s also important to note that for safety reasons, the medications used to dilate the pupils are not recommended for use in pregnant or breastfeeding women; therefore, it is best to hold off on a full refractive assessment until it is safe to do so, and at that time our team at Clarity Laser Vision can perform an accurate, overall examination.
To find out if it’s the right time to come in for an assessment, or if you have questions regarding your candidacy for refractive eye surgery, talk to your optometrist or call Clarity Laser Vision Centre today!