Undergoing LASIK surgery is an exciting milestone in your journey toward total visual freedom. Ninety-five percent of patients no longer need glasses or contacts for distance vision after surgery! But what should patients do with all of their old glasses and contacts? Can soft contacts be worn after LASIK?
Although you will likely never again need the same prescription of contact lenses you used before surgery, you can safely wear soft contact lenses after LASIK. Many surgeons utilize a bandage contact lens in the initial healing period after LASIK, and some patients – especially those who opt for monovision – may use a soft contact lens in their nearsighted eye when driving or watching television. We’ll guide you through contact lens use following LASIK, including the recommended waiting period and the main lens types available.
When Is It Safe To Wear Contacts After LASIK?
Most patients will never need to wear contacts again after LASIK. In the rare cases that contacts are indicated after surgery, safe contact lens wear can be utilized to meet your visual goals. To ensure the health of your eyes, our team at Corsini Laser Eye Center recommends a careful 5-step approach to contact lens wear after LASIK.
- Wait a minimum of one month after LASIK surgery.
- Attend LASIK follow-up appointments to assess healing progress.
- Wait until you get your surgeon’s go-ahead so your eyes can safely handle contact lenses.
- Undergo a new contact lens fitting appointment if indicated.
- Start with limited wear and monitor your comfort levels.
This timeline allows your cornea to heal fully and reintegrate the flap into its natural position. It also ensures that your prescription has stabilized any dry eye or inflammation has subsided.
Bandage Contact Lenses
Many surgeons, including Dr. Corsini, place bandage contact lenses (BCLs) over your eye after LASIK, SMILE, or PRK. Bandage lenses aid in comfort and augment healing during the initial post-surgical recovery. BCLs are the only contact lenses you should ever sleep in because your surgeon also provides you with an antibiotic drop to help prevent infection, and they follow your recovery closely. Sleeping in your contacts outside this scenario is the best way to earn yourself a corneal infection! Your surgeon usually removes your contacts one day after SMILE or LASIK and about five days after PRK.
What If I Wear Contacts Too Soon After LASIK?
It is always good practice to address LASIK recovery questions directly with your surgeon or co-managing optometrist before taking actions that could potentially harm your eyes. If you wear contacts too early after surgery, the temporary dry eyes and corneal sensitivity from the procedure can make your lenses uncomfortable. Moreover, unauthorized contact lens wear can increase your risk of infection after LASIK.
Did You Know…?
…that the risk of corneal infection from soft contact lens wear is significantly higher than the risk of corneal infection after LASIK? Check out our previous blog to learn more about the health benefits of LASIK.
The Specialized Fitting Process – How It Works
Fitting contact lenses on a post-LASIK eye is more complex than a standard fitting process, as your eye care provider will have to account for the new shape of your eye. Your eye doctor may utilize any of the following tools to select the ideal lens for your eyes:
- Corneal Topography: Maps the precise shape of your cornea after LASIK. Topographers are also integral in assessing your eye’s health before LASIK to ensure you qualify for surgery.
- Aberrometry: Measures the refractive power of your eye to help select the most accurate lens prescription.
- Fluoresceine Staining: Temporarily dyes your tears yellow-green, allowing your eye doctor to visualize the health of your tear film and the fit of your contact lenses.
How Do Your Vision Correction Needs Affect Contact Lens Wear?
Your individual vision needs after LASIK will determine whether you need to wear contacts. Most patients have excellent vision and do not need additional eyewear, while others may want to wear contacts for specific activities or particular eye conditions.
- Fine-tuning Vision: Some patients may need minor vision corrections that can be addressed with contacts, glasses, or enhancement surgery.
- Presbyopia: As you age, you may develop presbyopia, requiring reading glasses or contacts for near vision.
- Changes in Vision: Your vision may change over time, and contacts could be a temporary solution.
- Other Eye Conditions: Specialized contact lenses can help patients with dry eye, haloes, or glare, whether these symptoms arise before or after surgery.
What Types of Contacts Can You Wear After LASIK?
While soft contacts are the most popular option due to their comfort and convenience, several options are available:
- Soft Contact Lenses. You can wear soft contacts after LASIK to correct mild refractive errors. Soft contacts are the most comfortable lenses for most patients since they are made from flexible, water-containing plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea.
- Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses (RGPs). These lenses provide sharper vision for those with irregular corneas as they maintain their shape on the eye. The smooth, rigid surface masks corneal irregularities and diminishes higher-order aberrations. RGPs are often used in patients with keratoconus, a mostly-preventable condition where the cornea becomes progressively thin and irregular.
- Hybrid Lenses. Combining the comfort of soft lenses with the visual clarity of rigid lenses, these work well if you have an altered corneal shape.
- Scleral Lenses. These larger lenses vault over the cornea to allow a thick layer of tears to coat your eye. Scleral lenses are used for treating severe dry eye or and irregular astigmatism.
- Monovision or Multifocal Contact Lenses. These lens options are helpful for patients who have presbyopia. Multifocal lenses split light between distance and near, allowing each eye to see a range of depths. Monovision lenses are used when one eye is targeted for distance vision, and the fellow eye is targeted for near vision.
Choose high-quality soft contact lenses with good oxygen permeability and maintain proper hygiene to prevent infections. Be vigilant for eye discomfort or vision changes, and schedule regular eye exams to monitor your corneal health.
Do You Still Need Glasses If You Use Contact Lenses Post-LASIK?
While many patients achieve excellent vision after laser eye surgery, some may still need reading glasses or occasional corrective lenses for specific tasks.
Get A Clear Outlook on Lenses After LASIK
At Corsini Laser Eye Center, we recognize that every patient’s vision journey is unique. While LASIK often reduces the need for corrective eyewear, we are here to help you explore contact lens options post-surgery. To ensure you achieve and maintain your “20/happy” vision, we invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Corsini today.