LASIK in Atlanta is a safe and effective eye procedure to improves your vision. Choosing a trusted eye surgeon, following proper after-care instructions, and regular follow-ups can restore your sight and boost your confidence. However, not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive and contemplating having LASIK eye surgery procedure, there are some considerations.
A highly advanced laser helps reshape the cornea so the light entering your eye can focus on the retina and not get scattered or refracted. The procedure is performed within minutes under local anesthesia (administered through eye drops) and is free from major complications. If you have treatable myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, or presbyopia, LASIK can help.
Here’s more about the procedure – LASIK: A Comprehensive Guide.
Women go through several changes during pregnancy, including altered vision. For this reason, ophthalmologists don’t perform LASIK on expectant or lactating women. Vision change during pregnancy is common. You can experience reduced tear production, dry or itchy eyes, sensitivity to light, and fluid building up in or behind the eyes. It changes the shape of the cornea, and LASIK can adversely affect your eye health and even the development of the fetus. Your vision can get blurry, and glasses or contacts won’t be as effective as they typically are. It’s generally best to delay the surgery at least a few weeks after having the child to protect everyone’s health.
LASIK and pregnancy generally don’t work together because hormonal fluctuations can cause major vision changes. Blurry vision during pregnancy is the first symptom. Next, you might have dry eyes, eye floaters, puffy eyelids, eye strain, migraines, and an altered prescription. You might also experience double vision, blind spots, and flashes of light. Conditions like preeclampsia can again cause more severe vision changes during pregnancy. For this reason, it is recommended not to undergo any major vision surgery including LASIK.
If there are any newer vision problems and the changes are persistent and affecting your routine, immediately seek help. Pregnancy hormones make it slower for your vision to return to the pre-prescription stage, but they shouldn’t be hindering your quality of life.
Generally, these shifts aren’t concerning and stabilize within months after the delivery. In some cases, the symptoms might take even longer to subside. Don’t fret if they’re past the ideal adjustment phase; consult your eye surgeon and rule out any potential risks, keeping your eye health in check.
The sedatives, steroids, and antibiotics (mild or not) administered during the procedure can be dangerous for the fetus. Some prescription medications during or right after pregnancy can also interfere with the LASIK results. It can lead to delayed healing and more discomfort. This are additional reasons why you should wait for the postpartum period to end to get LASIK done.
If you want to get LASIK before pregnancy, we’d suggest having a time buffer of at least 6 months. As the whole body swells during pregnancy, corneas will be no different, whether or not you’ve had the surgery. When this (vision regression) happens, you’ll may be advised a second LASIK surgery option. Dry eye and halos/glare can also exacerbate, so taking precautions will be in your best interest.
You’ll want to simplify as many aspects of your life as possible after pregnancy. For this reason, many women opt for LASIK before getting pregnant.
Your surgeon likely allow you to to go in for the procedure until 6 months after if you’re partially breastfeeding or 6-12 weeks after you stop exclusive breastfeeding. After this time, the effects of prolactin and other hormones will be well established on the cornea allowing your vision gets to pre-pregnancy values so you’ll have better results of the surgery.
Ophthalmologists suggest delaying LASIK until the baby is born and you’ve your menstrual cycles resume, and the breastfeeding period has ended. This way, no hormonal and visual fluctuations will alter the accuracy of the procedure. However, LASIK may be necessary under some rare circumstances. If there’s a medical urgency and vision correction becomes crucial for your health, you may be advised to get the procedure. If the ophthalmologist and obstetrician confirm there aren’t severe hormonal fluctuations, but blurry vision during pregnancy may impact your routine, surgery may be possible.
You’ll undergo a comprehensive eye exam to evaluate visual acuity, refractive errors, and overall eye health. Your ophthalmologist will also examine the shape and thickness of the cornea, tear film quality, pupil size, etc., to determine the severity of pregnancy-related fluctuations. If eligible, you might be able to get LASIK during pregnancy while they’ll still suggest delaying the procedure.
In addition, a pregnant woman undergoing LASIK will have to forego certain things for safety concerns. The process won’t be normal. Pre-surgery sedatives might not be administered, post-surgery medications might also not be given, and visual fluctuations can hinder the results. Dry eye syndrome after pregnancy can hinder your healing, and LASIK symptoms can persist for longer than expected.
Technically, LASIK and pregnancy are possible (with modifications and restrictions), but most reputable and experienced ophthalmologists would advise waiting for at least 6 months postpartum. This will allow for a more predictable, comfortable, and safer experience. If you’re still unsure, ask the Milan Eye Center experts for help. We can also suggest alternatives if you aren’t eligible for LASIK. Click here to book your consultation when you’re ready.
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