One of the most frequent questions of patients with vision problems who use contact lenses on a daily basis is, can I have eye surgery if I use contact lenses? The answer, without a doubt, is yes. The use of contact lenses is not contraindicated refractive surgery. However, there must be a series of conditions that justify the application of this type of elective surgery.

First, the surgical intervention must be carried out when none of the other options for compensation of the refractive defect, whether they are glasses or contact lenses, can be maintained over time, so that it is not completely satisfactory for the patient or that may pose a real risk to your health.

Secondly, that the use of contact lenses, which encompasses both the contact lenses themselves, the maintenance solutions used and the habits of use, such as schedules, environments, handling, compliance with professional indications on proper use, do not has been able to affect our visual system in such a way that surgery, which is usually performed directly on the cornea (transparent lens on which the contact lens is positioned), can be harmful once made.

have eye surgery if I wear contact lenses

How to know if I can have an eye operation?

It is essential to perform a preoperative examination that helps the surgeon to assess the real situation of our eyes, in order to decide if the operation is viable in the first place, and which technique is the most adequate to guarantee a safe intervention and that satisfies both the needs of the patient as the performance of the professional.

This exam consists of:

  1. Complete history: which should include eye history, eye and general health, allergies and medication followed, in addition to any question that the surgeon may consider important to take into account for the possible surgical process.
  2. Assessment of the use of contact lenses and how they affect the visual system.
  3. Ocular measurements: current refractive value, corneal thickness, state of the ocular surface, qualitative and quantitative assessment of the tear, assessment of aberrometry ocular, eye strain, posterior pole of the eye and any other psychophysical measures that the surgeon deems appropriate.
  4. Explanation of the technique to follow and acceptance of the process to be followed by the patient, by reading, understanding and signing the corresponding Personalized Informed Consent.

How long should I stop using contact lenses to have an eye operation?

In general, refractive surgery is performed directly on the ocular surface, formed by the cornea and the tear, which is responsible for keeping both the cornea hydrated and nourished and the elements attached to it, Eyelids, conjunctiva, so the use of contact lenses before the operation should cease to try to ensure that the integrity of both elements, cornea and tear, are less affected in time.

Precisely in the assessment of the use of contact lenses in the preoperative process, it will be possible to decide what is the appropriate time, since it will depend on the type of contact lens that is being used, the regimen of use, the replacement, the maintenance solutions used , in addition to the state of the cornea and the tear itself. This time will be agreed between the surgeon and the patient, with the aim of giving greater security to the surgical act and at the same time affecting the patient's daily life as little as possible.

In addition, for preoperative testing, it is suggested that if the lenses used are rigid or semi-rigid (RPG) they should not be worn for at least 7 days, and if they are hydrophilic or silicone hydrogel (soft), they should be discontinued for at least 3 days. least XNUMX days. If for any reason it is considered that the time should be longer, the patient will be notified to repeat the preoperative process with a longer break than the one performed.

Can I use contact lenses after the operation?

Although the goal of surgery is undoubtedly to avoid having to continue using any optical compensation, in some cases, generally in a predictable way, it may be necessary to use optical compensation on a more or less permanent basis. In the case of wanting to compensate for this situation with contact lenses, there should be no problem wearing contact lenses, either with standardized designs or with specific designs called "post-surgery designs".

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Operate me for sight if I use contact lenses
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Operate me for sight if I use contact lenses
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You ask yourself frequently, can I have an eye surgery if I use contact lenses? In Área Oftalmológica Avanzada we clarify it in detail.
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Área Oftalmológica Avanzada
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