It's time to take the leap and schedule a LASIK consultation, but the one thing holding you back is that you’ll have to take a break from your contacts prior to the consultation. After all, who likes to run or go to the gym in glasses?
Is Giving Up Contacts for a Few Days Worth It?
While it seems inconvenient to break away from your contacts for a few days, we think once you understand the reason why, you will agree that it’s worth it.
The LASIK surgeons at Providence Eye, Dr. Mozayeni and Dr. Nunnery, have a very specific protocol for a successful LASIK consultation based on tens of thousands of procedures. These are their instructions:
- Discontinue sleeping in your contacts at least 10 days before your LASIK consultation.
- If you wear contacts for astigmatism (toric lenses), discontinue wear for 10 days before your LASIK consultation.
- If you wear regular contacts, discontinue wear for 5 days prior to the LASIK consultation.
3 Reasons to Take a Break From Contacts Before Your LASIK Consultation
- Inflammation - Contacts are obviously made of synthetic material. Even with the best care, dirt and germs can get on your contacts and in your eye, creating inflammation. Although this may not affect your vision, it does affect necessary test results during your LASIK consultation to determine if you are an ideal LASIK candidate.
- Distortion - Contacts are like miniature suction cups directly on top of your corneas. These mini suction cups tend to distort the shape of your corneas. Toric lenses for astigmatism, or if you sleep in them, distort your corneas even more. In order to determine if you are an ideal candidate during your LASIK consultation your surgeon needs to evaluate your corneas in their most natural shape without any distortion.
- False Information - The diagnostic equipment that is used to evaluate your corneas is extremely sensitive because it needs to be in order to provide the necessary information. However, if you have not taken the appropriate break from your contacts, then this diagnostic testing may return false information, making it difficult to know if you are an ideal LASIK candidate.
Although it seems inconvenient to go without your contacts for a few days, that is not our intent. Our number one goal is to provide you with a safe, long-lasting vision correction procedure.
Go ahead, get your calendar out! Although there may be no ideal time, find a time that would work best for you and then schedule your complimentary LASIK consultation at Providence Eye. Just imagine how awesome it will be to run, go for a walk, or do yoga after LASIK! See more and live better.
