Preoperative Instructions
Please review our preoperative instructions below. A printable .pdf is provided for your convenience below:
PREPARING FOR SURGERY
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We will contact you the week before your scheduled surgery to review instructions and confirm your arrival time.
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You will need to make some arrangements in advance. For several weeks after your surgery, you will need to administer prescribed eye drops daily. Please make arrangements with a family member or friend to assist you if needed. This does not require a nurse.
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You will need to make arrangements for someone to take you to and from the surgical center. Someone should stay with you the evening after surgery.
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If you take aspirin or blood thinners, you should stop these 5 days before surgery. Please discuss this with Dr. Eccarius.
DAY BEFORE SURGERY
Start using an antibiotic drop the day before surgery. Place one drop in the operative eye at noon, and one drop every two hours until bedtime. Keep the bottle of drops as you will use them again.
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery.
DAY OF SURGERY
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Place one antibiotic drop in the operative eye in the morning.
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Do not eat or drink anything. Take your regular prescriptions (no aspirin or blood thinners) with a small glass of water.
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If you use drops for glaucoma, take them as prescribed unless instructed differently.
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Ladies, please do not apply makeup, powder, lipstick or nail polish.
FOLLOWING SURGERY
Your vision will be slightly blurred. This should improve during the next several days. Things may appear darker because your pupil is constricted. You will notice redness, scratchiness or "flickering" which is normal and should improve over the next few days. Call our office immediately if you have increased pain or sudden loss of vision. Tylenol™ is recommended for any discomfort. Your best vision will be in about one month.
You will be given a kit that contains eye drops (you will already have antibiotic eye drops from before surgery), and a pair of sunglasses. Before you leave the surgery center, you will receive instructions from the nursing staff on what to do (and not do) after surgery. We will also give you written instructions after your check up in the office the next day.
WHAT TO AVOID
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It is very important not to rub or bump the operative eye.
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Do not swim or use a hot tub for one week.
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Avoid being in dusty or dirty environments unless you have your protective glasses.
WHAT YOU MAY RESUME AFTER SURGERY