A common issue for anybody considering or even having already finished the procedure is can you wear contact lenses after LASIK surgery , especially if items aren't quite 20/20 a couple of years down the particular line. The short answer is yes, you absolutely can, but it's not always as simple since heading to the store and grabbing a box of the exact same soft lenses you used to wear back in high school.
Almost all people go under the laser specifically so they can stop playing around with cases, options, and that irritating "sand in the eye" feeling with the end associated with a long day. So, even considering about going back to contacts may think that a bit of a stage backward. But living happens, eyes transformation, and sometimes you might find yourself requiring and take note help with your vision once again.
Why would you even desire contacts after LASIK?
This might sound the bit counterintuitive, doesn't it? You spent the money and took the start to obtain LASIK so you could wake up up and also observe the alarm clock. For the vast vast majority of people, that will dream stays a real possibility for decades. However, our eyes are living organs, and they don't remain frozen in time.
One huge reason people look into whether they can wear contact lenses after LASIK surgery is natural regression. Over five, 10, or fifteen years, your prescription may shift slightly. It's usually not a huge change, but it might be enough to make night traveling a little blurry or make reading road signs a bit of a guessing game.
Then there's the inevitable "over 40" club. This is how presbyopia kicks in—the age-related loss associated with close-up vision. Also if your length vision remains ideal thanks to LASIK, you might discover yourself squinting at your phone. While many people simply grab a set of reading glasses, others prefer the comfort of multifocal contact lenses.
Finally, some people simply want to change their eye color for a special event or an outfit. If you've ever wondered about those cosmetic "circle lenses" or spooky Halloween night contacts, you're nevertheless asking the same basic question regarding how a lens interacts with a post-LASIK eye.
The particular shape of the game has changed
To understand the reason why wearing contacts after LASIK is various, you need to believe about what the particular surgery actually did. During LASIK, the laser reshapes your cornea—the clear front window of your eye—to correct your refractive error. When you were nearsighted, the surgeon likely flattened the center of your cornea.
Before surgery, your cornea probably acquired a relatively "normal" or "prolate" shape, like the finish of a football. After LASIK, especially with regard to high prescriptions, the particular shape becomes "oblate, " meaning it's flatter in the particular middle and higher toward the sides.
Standard soft contact lenses are designed to fit that organic, "prolate" curve. When you put the standard lens on a post-LASIK eye, it might not really "drape" correctly. It can slide close to, feel unstable, or are not able to provide the crisp vision you're looking for since there's a small gap between the lens and the compressed part of your eye. This is usually why an expert installing is far more essential now than this ever was just before.
What type of lenses actually work?
Since the "off-the-shelf" soft lenses may not be a perfect match up anymore, eye physicians often turn to more specialized options. If you're finding that regular disposables aren't doing the trick, don't worry—there are plenty associated with other paths in order to take.
Scleral Lenses: The large hitters
If you ask a good optometrist about the easiest way to deal with vision issues after refractive surgery, they'll probably mention scleral lenses. They are large-diameter, rigid gas-permeable lenses. Instead of relaxing on the sensitive cornea (the component that was reshaped), they "vault" completely over it and rest on the sclera—the white part associated with your eye.
Because they don't actually touch the cornea, these people create a flawlessly smooth new surface for light to enter the eye. In addition they hold the little reservoir of saline involving the lens and the vision, which is a lifesaver if you struggle with the particular dry eye problems that sometimes linger after LASIK. They're a bit more work to place in, however the vision quality is often better than what people had before their particular surgery.
Cross Lenses
If the idea of the "hard" lens seems intimidating, hybrid lenses might be the center ground. They have a rigid center for crisp vision along with a soft "skirt" round the edges regarding comfort. These can be great regarding post-LASIK patients because the rigid middle handles the fixed corneal shape, while the soft outer band helps the zoom lens stay centered and comfortable throughout the particular day.
Custom Soft Lenses
Technology has come a long way. Some companies now make custom-lathed soft lenses specifically designed for "irregular" corneas. These are way more advanced than the types you find in a typical test closet. They can be manufactured along with specific thicknesses plus curves to match the unique landscape of the post-surgery eye.
The timing issues
If you've just had your own surgery last 7 days and things seem a little blurry, can you wear contact lenses after LASIK surgery immediately? Probably not. Your eyes need time in order to heal, and the "flap" created during surgery needs to be completely stable.
Most cosmetic surgeons will tell you to await at minimum three to 6 months before actually thinking about contacts. During those first couple of months, your vision will fluctuate as the swelling will go down and the nerves heal. Putting a contact lens on too earlier could irritate the surface or, within a worst-case scenario, wreak havoc on the healing argument. Always check along with your surgeon before you even think about putting something in your vision during the recovery stage.
What about colored or aesthetic lenses?
This is a big one for individuals who love changing their look. If you have 20/20 vision after LASIK but want in order to wear blue-tinted lenses to get a night out there, you still require to be cautious. Even "plano" (non-prescription) lenses are clinical devices.
Your own corneal shape has changed, those inexpensive "one-size-fits-all" colored lenses you find on-line might be a poor fit. In case a zoom lens is too tight, it can deprive your cornea of oxygen. If it's too loose, it can cause micro-scratches on the surface area. If you really want to wear cosmetic lenses, it's worth the twenty-minute appointment with your own eye doc in order to make sure you're getting a brand plus size that won't undo all the particular hard work your own surgeon did.
Dealing with the dry eye aspect
It's no secret that LASIK can cause or worsen dry eyes, a minimum of temporarily. Contact lenses also have a tendency to dry up the particular eyes. Combining the two can sometimes be a formula for discomfort.
If you're dead set upon wearing lenses, you might need to be a bit more aggressive with your lubricating drops. This particular is another cause why scleral lenses are incredibly popular for post-LASIK patients; they actually help keep the eye hydrated. If you try to jump back in to old-school soft lenses and discover your eye think that they're burning by noon, it's likely a dried out eye issue rather than a fit issue.
Speaking with your doctor
At the end of the day, your eye are unique. The way your particular cornea healed could be totally different from somebody else's. If you feel like your vision isn't where it needs to end up being, or if you just really skip having green eyes, the first stage is a specialized installing.
Don't simply go to any optic shop. Search for a good optometrist who specializes in "specialty fits" or "irregular corneas. " They have the equipment—like corneal topographers—to map the particular surface of the attention and see where the flat plus steep spots are usually. This data is what allows them to look for a lens that will stays comfortable and actually gives you that "HD" eyesight you would look for when you signed up for LASIK in the 1st place.
Therefore, while the objective of LASIK may be to be lens-free, it's good to know that the door isn't closed forever. Whether it's for a bit associated with a vision boost, managing aging eyes, or just intended for fun, you have got options. Just take it slow, listen to the advantages, and don't be satisfied with "okay" vision when you can have great vision.