Many people consider wearing lenses after Smile LASIK to enhance their vision or for cosmetic purposes. However, you should be cautious about wearing lenses after LASIK because they can increase the risk of corneal damage, especially if you wear them without a sufficient LASIK recovery period, which can lead to reopening of the wound or inflammation.
There are certain eye conditions that shouldn't be worn, so today we'll go over when you can wear lenses after Smile LASIK and the precautions you should take to avoid damaging your cornea.
1. 3 Reasons Why Wearing Lenses After Smile LASIK is Dangerous
Smile LASIK involves microscopic cuts in the cornea to correct vision, so it's important to take care of your cornea after surgery to ensure it settles in safely with minimal external irritation. However, care must be taken during this time as heavy contact lens wear can hinder recovery and lead to various complications. Below. 3 Reasons Why Wearing Lenses After Smile LASIK Is Dangerousin this article.
1) Interferes with corneal recovery
Source: LASERCARE
After Smile LASIK, you will need a long LASIK recovery period to allow the cut cornea to heal naturally. However Wearing lenses puts constant pressure on the surface of the cornea, causing the wound to reopen, or microscopic lens corneal damage to repeatin the eye. This can cause corneal clouding or delay vision settling, so it's safe to avoid wearing lenses immediately after surgery.
2) Causes dry eyes and decreased vision
Source: Miramar Eye Institute
In the immediate aftermath of surgery, the nerves that make up the cornea are damaged and the tear film becomes unstable, making you more prone to dry eye. Wearing lenses at this time not only reduces oxygenation, but also reduces the protective function of the tear film as the lenses absorb moisture from the surface of the eye. As a result, tear evaporation is accelerated and the corneal surface is not kept even, which can lead to blurred vision. Repeated episodes of dryness can cause microscopic damage to the corneal surface and lead to decreased vision.
3) Risk of infection and inflammation
Source: Freepik
In the early days after SMILE LASIK, the corneal epithelium is not fully healed and is more sensitive to external bacteria and viruses. If you wear lenses during this time, bacteria on the surface of the lenses can be transferred to your eyes, causing corneal damage or infections such as keratitis and conjunctivitis. You should be especially careful not to rub your eyes mindlessly, as this can exacerbate inflammation and lead to vision loss.
2. Can I wear lenses after Smile LASIK?
1) Wearability
Can I wear lenses after LASIK? You should avoid wearing lenses immediately after surgery because your cornea needs a period of LASIK recovery to settle into a stable position. Wearing lenses, especially when the corneal wound is not fully healed, can slow wound healing and increase the chance of bacterial infection or inflammation. However Once your cornea has stabilised over a period of time, you may be able to wear them for short periods of time as needed, but only after consulting your healthcare provider to ensure safety..
2) When you can wear lenses by refractive surgery
- Smile LASIK: After about 2 months
- LASIK: After about 3 months
- Rasek: Approximately 3 to 6 months
- Lens Implantation Surgery: After about 2 months
Depending on the type of refractive surgery, the timing of when you can wear your lenses again may vary slightly. Smiloplasty takes about two months after surgery to complete.the cornea has recovered to a certain extent, allowing short-term lens wear. LASIK typically takes about three monthsLasik lenses, in particular, can often be worn after a period of time, as it takes longer for the corneal epithelium to fully regenerate. At least three to six monthsis recommended to avoid wearing.
Also, if you do need to wear your LASIK lenses again, make sure you are fully recovered and check your cornea regularly to avoid further irritation. Although the lens implant does not cut the cornea, it does place an insert inside the eye. About 2 monthsis recommended to avoid external stimuli. The exact timing of wear should be determined by your eye care professional as it will depend on your individual eye condition and recovery rate.
3. What to Expect When Wearing Lenses After Smile LASIK
After a period of time following your Smile LASIK procedure, you will be able to wear your lenses, but there are certain precautions that you must take to ensure that they are safe. Because your cornea is in a different state than it was before surgery, wearing your lenses in the same way as before may cause foreign bodies or unexpected problems.
1) Potential for poor fit
Smile LASIK is a vision correction procedure that changes the power of refraction by creating and removing microscopic tissue called lenticules within the parenchymal layer of the cornea. Because some of the corneal tissue is lost, the overall curvature of the cornea may change. As a result, the lenses you were wearing before surgery may not fit as well as they should, causing a foreign body sensation or blurred vision. If you need to wear lenses after surgery, we recommend that you purchase new lenses to match your corrected eye condition.
2) Wear it after the recovery period
After LASIK, the cornea needs to recover for a period of time, so wearing lenses too much during this time can lead to a Irritation delays or impairs recoveryIt is important to check when to wear lenses depending on the type of surgery you have had, especially if your cornea is weakened after surgery, as it may not be a good idea to wear lenses. Also, recovery speeds vary, so it is always best to consult with your surgeon before deciding whether or not to wear lenses.
3) Adhere to lens wear time
Your eyes may be more sensitive after LASIK, and you may notice dryness and irritation more easily if you wear lenses for long periods of time. If you need to wear lenses, you can use We recommend that you wear them as short as possible to avoid straining your eyes. It also helps to use artificial tears frequently to keep your eyes moist while wearing lenses.
4) Watch out for dry eyes and infections
After LASIK Dry eye due to temporary instability of the tear filmcan easily appear, and wearing your lenses in this condition can lead to increased dryness and damage to the corneal surface. Damaged corneas are more susceptible to bacterial or viral infections, so you should practice good hand hygiene before and after wearing your lenses, and stop wearing them immediately and see your eye doctor if you experience any abnormal symptoms.
5) Get regular check-ups and lens health checks
If you need to wear lenses after LASIK, it's important to have regular eye exams to keep an eye on your eyes. If you develop dry eyes or corneal microscopic deformities, these can lead to poor vision or more serious complications in the long run. It's also important to keep the lenses themselves hygienic. Your cornea is sensitive to external stimuli after surgery, so it's easy for damage to the lens surface or bacterial growth in the case to lead to infection. Slow or unstable recovery can lead to an eye that shouldn't be wearing lenses, so it's important to take care of your eyes after surgery.
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Because Smile LASIK involves a minimal cut in the cornea to correct vision, it is important to recover from surgery with minimal external stimulation. Wearing lenses too soon after surgery can cause the corneal wound to not heal properly, delaying vision recovery and increasing the risk of infection or dry eye. Generally speaking, you shouldn't wear lenses until about two months after surgery for Smile LASIK, three months for LASIK, and three to six months for LASEK, but the exact timing and method of wearing lenses should be discussed with your surgeon.
The Department of Ophthalmology at St Mary's Hospital Seoul is staffed by the country's top-notch medical team, comprised of outpatient faculty members from the Department of Retina. We utilise state-of-the-art medical equipment for accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment, and provide one-on-one surgery tailored to each patient's eye characteristics. We provide high-quality care and can expertly diagnose and treat cataract, glaucoma, and retinal diseases, as well as a variety of issues related to tissue changes around the eye. If you are concerned about wearing lenses after Smile LASIK, we recommend that you do not make a judgement on your own, but seek an accurate consultation and diagnosis at St. Mary's Eye Center.
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Smile LASIK is a relatively safe vision correction procedure, but wearing lenses too much before your cornea has fully healed can cause the wound to reopen and increase the risk of dry eye and infection. It's important to remember that wearing lenses after LASIK is a matter of when and how you wear them, and your individual recovery rate will determine whether you can wear them. If you experience even the slightest discomfort or recurring blurred vision, don't go it alone and consult with your eye care professional. If you have any questions about the aftercare of Smile LASIK to ensure safe lens wear and healthy vision, please feel free to contact us for an accurate diagnosis and personalised consultation.
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