Refractive Lens Surgery

Post Operative Instructions - Refractive Lens Exchange

At his Calgary Centre, Dr. Demong and his staff are committed to ensuring your recovery is 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 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 anti-inflammatory drops 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. If your surgery involves both eyes, you will need to keep the drops separate for each eye. You may continue using the preoperative antibiotic drops after surgery. As soon as you get home, start using the drops as prescribed. Instill artificial tears every couple of hours while awake for the first day or two 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 will be 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 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Additional visits may be required if healing irregularities occur. It is important to keep your appointment as instructed, even if you feel there are no problems with your vision.

You may 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 problems resolve.  Your optometrist will alert us to those concerns.  Should you develop problems, please contact your optometrist first.

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 1 week. You may return to work when able to perform your regular functions, usually within 1 week.

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.

Avoid hairspray and aerosols during the first two weeks.

You will not be able to lift anything heavier than 2.5 Kg for ten to fourteen days.

Avoid vigorous activities for 2 full weeks, however a light aerobic routine can be resumed within the first week. It is safe for you to resume sexual activity after the first week.

While vision is stabilizing over the first few weeks, you may notice that your eyes tire more easily than before surgery. You will need to rest your eyes briefly every hour and use artificial tear drops to minimize dryness. If reading vision is unclear, you may also wish to use nonprescription reading glasses to magnify print until your vision is completely recovered. We suggest waiting for a month after surgery if you desire prescription reading glasses.

Vision is expected to improve most noticeably within the first week following surgery. In most cases, it will continue to gradually improve until healing is complete, usually between 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Some corrections may take longer to heal.