PRIOR TO SURGERY

• Please follow the following instructions carefully which helps ensure the success of your surgery and makes your visit to us flow well.
• Make sure your pre-operative medical clearance visit with your family medical doctor or physician has been completed if you have any medical conditions under treatment.
• Do not discontinue blood thinners such as Warfarin or Plavix unless specifically instructed by Dr. De Wit.
• Fill the prescriptions for your eye medications and take them in accordance to the instructions on page.
• Please arrange for someone to drive you home on the day of the surgery.
• Do not eat or drink for eight hours before your surgery.

Your surgery will proceed and immediately after surgery you will be brought in to our recovery room to rest for approximately 30 minutes. Here you will be given additional information and also your postoperative discharge medications to take home. Have someone with you as you may feel a little disorientated from the anaesthetic drugs.

YOUR RECOVERY AT HOME

• DO NOT put anything in the operated eye except the medications prescribed for you by our doctors for use after surgery.
• You should wear protective glasses for one week when you are outside. Wear the sunglasses provided, since most other varieties do not provide adequate protection (rated UV 400, or better). You can wear regular, clear glasses when you are inside. If your own glasses adversely affect the vision in your operated eye, the prescription lens can be replaced with a non-corrective lens until the eye is healed (about 4 to 3 months after surgery).
• Continue using all medications you were using in your other eye.
• Please be aware that after your surgery your eyes will be irritated and light sensitive. Your eyes may burn, sting and tear excessively and you may feel a foreign body sensation. Do not rub your eyes. Use Paracetamol to help with any pain after surgery (500 – 1000 mg every 4 hours as needed).
• If necessary, you may gently dab-dry the corner of the eyelids and lashes with a clean unused disposable tissue.
• Rest for a few hours. The medications used to calm you during surgery will be in your system for approximately 24 hours, so you might feel tired or drowsy.
• Please follow the postoperative eye drop regime STRICTLY with reminders placed on your phone or written down to remember to take your eye drop medication. Having a ‘medication buddy’ helps if you live alone – someone to call and check and remind you.

FOLLOW UP CARE

• Please be advised of the importance of your follow-up care.
• You are required to come in to our office (23 High Street Gawler) or if expressly agreed Stirling Hospital (20 Milan Terrace, Stirling) within 24 hours after your surgery for your first post-operative appointment. Following your post-operative visit there are 4 required visits with your optometrist: at 1 week, 4 weeks and 3 months from the surgery day.
• You may or may not see clearly right away after surgery with your operated eye. This depends on many variables, such as eye pressure, or the effect of the incision producing temporary astigmatism (astigmatism is an alteration in the curvature of the cornea). Dr.De Wit may change your medications or your activities based on his evaluation of how your eye is healing..
• You must return to all the medications you were taking before your surgery or as prescribed by your internist or medical doctor. Please follow your eye medication regimen unless instructed otherwise.
• Rarely are stitches used, but if they are, the stitch is left in to dissolve on its own over 1-4 years. It rarely requires a removal.
• Please be advised of the importance of your follow-up care.
• You should wear protective glasses for 1 week when you are outside. Wear the sunglasses provided, since most other varieties do not provide adequate protection (rated UV 400, or better). You can wear regular, clear glasses when you are inside. If your own glasses adversely affect the vision in your operated eye, the prescription lens can be replaced with a non-corrective lens until the eye is healed (about 4 weeks to 3 months after surgery).
• The protective shield should be worn at nap time and during sleep for 1 week or 2 weeks if you sleep on your stomach. Tape the shield over the operated eye with the pointed part toward the nose.
• You may shower and wash your hair, but avoid soap and water in your eyes.
• Driving is permitted only if you can see well enough. Only you can determine if you can drive safely. Start slowly as you are still adapting to your new correction.
• You may resume low-impact exercise on the 2nd post-operative day. No aerobic exercise, inverted yoga positions or weight lifting for 1 week.
• No swimming for at least 2 weeks.
• No sexual activity for 1 week.
• Do not wear mascara for 1 week after the surgery. Eye shadow can be used at anytime after the 1st post-operative day.

It is impossible to list and advise regarding every possible activity. You must evaluate those activities not listed using your own common sense. If in doubt, please call Barossa Eye Clinic on 08 8520 6107