LASIK During Pregnancy: Why is it Considered Unsafe?
November 11th, 2016
LASIK surgery was quick to rise to the top of all laser vision correction procedures. It’s ease, painlessness and effectiveness surely makes it a force to be reckoned with. However, LASIK is not for everyone. In fact, you could be a perfect candidate in all other ways but still not be able to safely undergo it because you’re pregnant. We get this question a lot – why can’t I get LASIK surgery if I’m pregnant? Well, there are a few reasons.
Hormonal Changes
This is the big one. The hormonal changes in pregnant women are a well-known phenomenon. What many people don’t know is that these hormonal changes affect more than just mood and hair growth. They can greatly affect the way you see!
When extra hormones are pumping through your body, your eyes adjust and start to fluctuate. This means that they way you see while you’re pregnant may be much different than the way you see when not pregnant. When you go in for an eye exam during pregnancy, your prescription may see a dramatic change.
Because of this fluctuation in eyesight, it is not safe for doctors to perform LASIK surgery during this time. If you were to get LASIK surgery during pregnancy, you have a great risk of over or under correction, which will be very noticeable after pregnancy when hormones go back to normal. You’re better off waiting!
Medications
During and after LASIK surgery, your doctor will give you medications for comfort and for preventing infection. These medications can harm the developing fetus. For the safety of the mother and the baby, it is best to refrain from LASIK surgery until after pregnancy.
Dry Eyes
Hormonal changes also cause some other issues, such as dry eye syndrome. LASIK surgery and dry eye syndrome are not a good mix. In almost all cases, dry eye syndrome disqualifies you from LASIK surgery, pregnant or not. Since mild dry eye syndrome is a fairly common post-LASIK symptom, you run a high risk of developing a chronic form of the disease afterward.
Dr. Danny Lee highly recommends pregnant women consider waiting until after pregnancy to go through with LASIK. If you have any questions regarding LASIK candidacy or if you would like to come in for a consultation, contact our Huntsville, AL or Decatur, AL office today!
