6 Things to Know Before Your Eye Surgery

Thanks to the eclipse, eye health has taken center stage the last few weeks. In fact, the number of people searching “my eyes hurt” on Google peaked at the same time as the eclipse.

For the most part, if you wore protective eyewear and didn’t stare directly into the sun for a prolonged amount of time, you should be okay. But for those of us with existing eye issues, vision problems are more than a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Living with poor eyesight or other eye disorders is a daily challenge.

Innovative options in eye care

If you thought your only options for poor vision were contacts and glasses, think again. According to the website of Dr. Kerry Solomon, an ophthalmologist in Charleston, South Carolina, there are a number of surgical eye procedures  for long-lasting vision correction.

I know what you're thinking: Eye surgery? No thanks!

I get it. It's intimidating and there are some serious (and sometimes permanent) risks to consider — dry eye syndrome, vision changes, and worse, vision loss. But the rewards outweigh the risks for many, which is why millions of people in the United States have had corrective eye surgery. If you are considering improving your vision with a surgical procedure, here are 6 things you need to know:

1.       Choose someone who is really, really, ridiculously qualified.

You wouldn't trust something as precious as your eyesight to just anyone, right? Let's hope not. Finding someone who is highly trained and well qualified to perform your surgery is essential. Here are some things to look for:

·         Licensing: Make sure your surgeon is medically licensed in your state to perform your procedure.

·         Board certification: Look for an ophthalmologist who is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology

·         Professional memberships: Surgeons who also hold memberships in organizations such as the American College of Surgeons are held to higher standards of ethics and safety.

·         Reputation and experience: Read reviews of your surgeon and ask for a consultation before you make your decision. Don't be afraid to ask them how many times they've performed the procedure you're interested in, and inquire about their complication rate.

2.       Don't bargain shop.

You know those radio commercials that offer “buy one get one free” for LASIK surgery? Yeah, don’t do that.

Never bargain hunt when it comes to your vision. Trust me, with any medical procedure, you get what you pay for. If you aren't financially ready to pay for a skilled, qualified surgeon, then save up and wait until you are. Your eyesight is worth more than a quick deal.

3.       You will likely be awake.

Many corrective eye surgeries can be performed while you are awake, such as LASIK. Other procedures, like some cataract surgeries, will include light sedation. If you are really concerned or nervous about your procedure, you can always request anti-anxiety medication beforehand to take the edge off.

4.       Your eyes might be held in place with restraints.

This is the freakiest part of eye surgery and definitely not something you want to Google. But try to look past the obvious ick factor and focus more on what the restraints are really there for — your safety. Keeping your eyes and eyelids stable allows the surgeon to perform surgery more accurately and reduces the risk of mistakes.

5.       Your vision will be impaired for a while.

Your eyes will likely be red, scratchy, and sensitive to light after your procedure. You will be provided special glasses or goggles afterward to protect your eyes and allow them to heal.

You may notice that your eyesight is instantly improved after surgery. However, this will change over the next few hours, and you’ll likely experience some blurriness for the first 3–5 days. For this reason, you may need to take a few days off work, as you won't be able to drive. (Hint: You'll also need someone to drive you home after surgery.)

6.       You might need another procedure.

Not everyone achieves 20/20 vision after surgery (although many do). And even those who do might still need a second procedure down the road because their vision changes over time. However, despite any future changes, your vision should remain better than it was before surgery.