Laser Surgery Post-Operative Instructions                          

Dr. Demong and the staff of his Calgary Centre are committed to ensuring your recovery remains as smooth and uneventful as possible. We will continue to support you throughout your recovery by working closely with the optometrist who is providing your routine follow up examinations and by remaining available for emergencies through our after-hours emergency call number.

Following surgery, you will return to the recovery area and we will review specific postoperative instructions but the following general instructions will help you plan ahead:

We will provide a postoperative care kit complete with written instructions and the emergency assistance phone number before you leave the Centre. A registered nurse will contact you the evening of surgery to check on your condition, review instructions and answer any questions you have at that time.

You will use a combination of drops during your recovery: an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory drop (2 types if you have PRK) in addition to artificial tear drops. It is important that you alert us to any medication allergies prior to surgery. Your companion can fill the prescriptions while you are undergoing your procedure so there is no need to stop on the way home afterward. As soon as you get home, start using the drops as prescribed. Instill artificial tears every hour while awake for the first day but always remember to instill artificial tears after medicated drops have been fully absorbed, not before. Keep your eyes closed as much as possible for the first evening.

Examinations are required at regular intervals to ensure optimal recovery. Dr. Demong will see you at 1 day postoperatively, and then the remaining routine visits will be scheduled at approximately 1 week,1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Additional visits may be required if healing irregularities occur. While it is important to keep your appointments as instructed, there is some flexibility in the timing the longer your recovery progresses.

You will undergo routine follow up care with a network optometrist who is aware of Dr. Demong's treatment guidelines and follows the protocol, which includes forwarding all examination reports for Dr. Demong's review in a timely manner. Medical complications will require specific instruction from Dr. Demong and possibly direct management until the problem resolves.

You will not be able to drive until your doctor advises you that your vision has recovered to within safe limits. Most people resume driving within 2 - 3 days. You may return to work when able to perform your regular functions, usually within 3 - 4 days.

Women may resume wearing eye makeup after 2 weeks but we recommend the use of only water soluble products and suggest you begin with new products to remove the risk of cross contamination from bacteria harbored in products used before surgery.

Protect your eyes from injuries when engaging in fitness activities which can be resumed within the first week.

While vision is stabilizing over the first few weeks, you may notice near vision takes longer to recover, causing eye strain when reading or working at a computer for extended periods. You will need to rest your eyes briefly every hour and use artificial tear drops to minimize dryness but you may also wish to use nonprescription reading glasses to magnify print and help you through this transient period. If you are over the age of 45, it is likely that you'll need reading glasses on a more permanent basis. We suggest waiting for a month after surgery if you wish to obtain prescription reading glasses.

Vision is expected to improve most noticeably within the first few days to one week. In most cases, it will continue to gradually improve until healing is complete, usually between 3 to 6 months after surgery. Some corrections may take longer to heal.