Instructions after laser vision correction

Your care at the British Ophthalmological Center  does not stop after your recovery – we provide all necessary post-operative care and recovery treatment for as long as you need it, free of charge – even after you are discharged. This does not apply to natural changes (deterioration) in your eyes or any other complications or illnesses unrelated to laser vision correction.

Instructions for surgery

To prepare for surgery:

• Make sure you are well acquainted with your laser vision correction consent form
• Eat and drink as usual (alcohol should not be consumed 24 hours before the surgery).
• Wear non-fibrous, loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothing in which you feel comfortable
• Do not use makeup, perfume, or aftershave
• Bring a pair of sunglasses.

You will receive the following after your surgery:

• A prescription for medications
• Instructions for use of medications
• Emergency contact phone number (for the night after surgery)
• Referral for post-operative appointments

Return home

Please do not leave the clinic unaccompanied, as you may need help returning home.

It is advisable to have a friend or relative accompany you on the day of surgery. Otherwise, it is advisable to arrange in advance to be picked up from the clinic when you are ready to go home. After LASEK, LASIK, iQ-Life, and cataract surgery, air travel is not forbidden. However, we would recommend that you do not fly immediately after surgery. Your vision may remain a little blurry, and you may have increased sensitivity to light. It is also advisable to consult with your postoperative appointments about planning any independent travel during the first month after surgery.

Tips for the postoperative period

First day (the day after surgery):

• Try to stay relaxed
• Reduce eye movement to a minimum.
• Try not to squeeze your eyes shut
• DO NOT rub your eyes
• Try to avoid activities that require visual concentration (such as watching TV, using a computer)

If you have small children, we recommend that you arrange for family or friends to help in advance for the first two days, especially after LASEK and iQ-Life surgery.

Please keep alcohol consumption to a minimum during the first 2-3 days, as it can interact with the medication and cause dry eyes.

You should rest as much as possible and avoid unnecessary eye strain.

Medications You will be given a prescription for medications for post-operative care. The cost of the above medications is not included in the cost of treatment. Please use the prescribed medications according to your surgeon’s instructions and ensure that all medications are stored in a cool, dry place. How to use eye drops properly:

1. Always wash your hands before applying any eye drops
2. Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling
3. Drip the medicine exactly on the eyeball. DO NOT STRETCH YOUR EYELID.
4. Try not to touch your eye or eye eyelid with the neck of the bottle

In the event that you miss a dose of medication, do not try to replace it with a single dose of two or three missed doses. You may feel more comfortable having someone help you with the application of the eye drops until your eyes recover.

Additional Precautions:

• Do not let other people use your eye drops
• Do not touch the neck of the bottle to your eye or any other surface
• Cover the bottle of eye drops or ointment with the lid immediately after use
• Keep the vial tightly sealed in an upright position
• Discard all drops/infusion at the end of the treatment

DO NOT EXCEED THE RECOMMENDED DOSE

Eye Care

You may experience the following symptoms after surgery:

• Watery eyes
• Sensitivity to light (wear sunglasses if you go outdoors)
• Feeling of a foreign body in the eye
• Eyes may become sore and difficult to open
• Pupils may be dilated
• Eyelids may become puffy and/or droopy
• Flickers and spots may appear in front of the eyes

There is no reason to worry, as these are normal, temporary effects of surgery.

Practical Tip:

• If you feel the need to clean the eye area, use gauze soaked in cool boiling water, taking care not to touch your eyes
• Do not use commercial eye washes. If you feel a foreign body, dryness or tightness in your eye(s), use artificial tears that do not contain preservatives. They are available over-the-counter at any drugstore
• If your eyelids are swollen and your eyes are itchy and red (even a few days after surgery), it may be a reaction to medications. Please contact the clinic for advice on an alternative treatment

Feeling of discomfort in the eye

• Local anesthetic eye drops help make the entire operation painless. A feeling of discomfort about an hour after surgery is normal because it occurs when the anesthesia has worn off. The discomfort can be similar to the sensation of a foreign body in the eye and can last for 24-38 hours. LASIK surgery is generally virtually painless, but patients who have had LASEK surgery may experience quite a bit of discomfort. Medications and bandage contact lenses can help manage any feelings of discomfort.

Danger of severe pain

• If you feel severe pain after 24 hours, you should go to your eye clinic (Tuesday through Saturday) for a post-op appointment. If the clinic is not open or you need to contact the clinic on Sunday, call our clinic at +375 17 2149817. A member of our customer service team will contact your attending surgeon and arrange for him to call you back.

It is unlikely that the doctors in the emergency room are familiar with complications from laser surgery. If there is a complication, which is unlikely, contact the clinic as soon as possible.

Post-operative care

It is very important that you come to your appointments as recommended by our medical team. One or two post-operative appointments are mandatory. All post-operative care at the British Eye Centre is included in the cost of surgery and is completely free of charge

*If it is necessary to remove bandage lenses, then a visit to our center is mandatory after 3-4 days, or on days 7-14.

Cancellation of an appointment is allowed 3 days in advance, after which a fee of 50% of the cost of the service will be charged. If you are more than twenty minutes late for your appointment, you will have to re-register for another postoperative appointment time.

In some cases, your surgeon may prescribe additional eye drops. He or she will write you a prescription and you can purchase the prescribed medication from a pharmacy. If it is more convenient for you, we can refer you to one of the optical correction centers in your city for postoperative care, the services of which you pay for yourself. This option may be more economical for you than traveling to the clinic. The results of your examination will be sent to the clinic and entered into your medical records. If this is the case, ask for a copy of the post-operative examination.

Recovery time

*Please note that the recovery process may vary from patient to patient and it typically takes 1 to 3 months for vision to be restored before the final result is achieved.
**Returning to work will depend on the type of work you do. Ask your surgeon or optometrist for further advice and information about any restrictions.

Resuming your daily life

Please note that:

• In dusty conditions (eg construction sites) you need to protect your eyes with safety glasses such as goggles for at least one month
• When working with displays (visual display device screens), you should regularly take 15-minute breaks every 45 minutes, as long periods of concentrated work can tire your eyes during the first 2-3 weeks
• It is recommended to wear sunglasses when going outside for the first few weeks. This will help protect your eyes from dust particles and help reduce the temporary effect of light sensitivity
• Patients undergoing iQ-Life surgery and cataract treatment should avoid heavy lifting for the first 4 weeks.

During post-operative appointments, your doctor will be able to determine whether your vision meets the required standards.

DO NOT DRIVE UNTIL A DOCTOR CONFIRMS IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE

To meet driving standards, you must be able to read a license plate from a distance of 20.5 m. You must take particular care while driving if you have had surgery on one eye because your binocular (stereoscopic) vision (when both eyes are work together) is temporarily disrupted and you have difficulty determining distances.

Sport

Please avoid strenuous physical activity until your eyes have fully recovered (usually about a month for all activities).

The table below provides guidance on the recovery time needed to resume general activities. Your doctor may make other recommendations depending on your individual circumstances. If you encounter any of the activities listed below professionally or have questions about an activity not listed in the table below, follow your doctor’s recommendations.

Protect your eyes from sweat by wearing a head covering during sports for at least two weeks.

General recommendations

Taking a shower and bath

• Try to avoid getting water in your eyes for the first seven days after your surgery
• When showering, you should stand with your back to the shower, one step further than usual, so that you have to lean back towards the stream of water. Maintain this position while washing your hair so that the shampoo flows past your face and eyes
• When taking a bath, when washing your hair, you need to tilt your head back to avoid getting shampoo in your eyes
• If shampoo, soap or any other product accidentally gets into your eyes, try NOT to RUB YOUR EYES. You can use refreshing drops to rinse the product out of your eyes while you wait for the sting to subside

Makeup

• Makeup should not be worn during the first two weeks after surgery
• Later, you can start using skin products again, such as face cream, moisturizer, foundation cream, concealer, blush. Try not to apply these products too close to your eyes
• The use of waterproof mascara is not recommended until at least a month has passed since the date of surgery, as it is more difficult to remove
• Try to avoid getting any makeup or makeup remover products in your eyes for one month from the date of your surgery. If this happens, it is recommended to wash the product out of your eyes using refreshing drops and never rub your eyes

Vacation

• We recommend not to travel abroad for one week from the date of the operation. This is just a way to ensure that you are available for your first two post-op appointments
• When traveling in a hot climate, make sure you wear good quality sunglasses with full UVA and UVB protection. Sunbathing is not recommended for one month after your surgery
• Make sure you wear good quality sunglasses or goggles with full UVA and UVB protection when engaging in any winter sports

Reading

• Depending on the level of correction, you may have difficulty reading small print. Don’t worry as this is normal and may only last for a few weeks
• You may need presbyopic glasses if you are 45 years of age or older. This is a natural aging process for the eyes and may only be useful for activities that require good near vision (such as reading, sewing, knitting, etc.)

Solariums

• Do not use solariums for a month after the laser correction procedure and for three months after the iQ-Life cataract procedures

Smoking

• If possible, avoid smoking or being in smoky areas for one week

Additional recommendations

LASEK

Bandage contact lenses

Bandage contact lenses are mainly used after LASEK surgery to protect the epithelium (outer covering tissue) and reduce discomfort. You will need to return to the clinic after 3-4 days to remove them. Sometimes patients do not tolerate bandage lenses, in such cases the lenses have to be removed sooner. There may be some discomfort or pain while using and removing the band lenses. Keep in mind that this pain will disappear within 6-24 hours. Get plenty of rest and take pain medication, but NEVER exceed the recommended dosage and NEVER remove the contact lenses on your own.

You may experience some discomfort if the bandage lens falls out of your eye. If this happens, you should not try to put it back into the eye. Continue to use the medicated drops as recommended and attend your post-op appointments as planned.

Recovery effect (clouding)

Patients who have undergone LASEK surgery may experience mild clouding of the cornea for 3-4 weeks after surgery. This is a normal recovery reaction for the operated area.

The clouding of the cornea of the eye is most often mild and most patients do not notice it. In rarer cases, it goes away after 6-12 months. The risk of clouding increases with higher doses of medication, and your doctor will advise if this is likely. In the case of more severe forms of blurring, your vision may become impaired, in which case you will need to discuss a course of treatment with your doctor. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe steroid drops, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, or other treatments that will address the problem.

iQ-Life Cataract

• You may experience redness in the eye area and floaters (spots) in the eyes. This should go away within 2-3 weeks. Remember that the spots that appeared before the operation will remain after the operation
• As a result of the anesthesia, you may experience squinting and/or dilated pupils, which may last for up to one week. This may cause temporary double vision and light sensitivity
• Vision should recover within a few days. In any case, the eyes will fully recover within a few months

If you experience any of the following symptoms, ALWAYS contact your healthcare provider immediately:

1. Sharp, long-lasting pain in and around the eyes

2. Sudden loss of vision

3. Bright bursts of light followed by blurred vision

A mobile phone number for emergency consultation will be provided to you after the operation. If you have an infection, delaying treatment may lead to complications.

The clinic’s team of specialists will do everything possible to restore your vision.

And thousands of our patients who have regained their good vision are clear proof of this.