You’re keen to have LASIK surgery, but you’re now expecting. Is it safe to do the operation during pregnancy?
The short answer is that any refractive surgery (including Lasik, SMILE) is not recommended during pregnancy and best to wait at least 3 months after stopping breastfeeding. The surge in pregnancy hormone is linked to changes in corneal stiffness that may result in a less reliable surgical outcome. The risk of regression or myopia returning is also higher. Dry eyes are more common during pregnancy, and may adversely affect the accuracy of the pre-Lasik refraction test.
Also some medications used during routine refractive surgery including sedatives (e.g.diazepam), pain-killers (e.g. mefenamic acid), antibiotic eyedrops (e.g. fluoroquinolones) and anti-inflammatory eyedrops (e.g. steroids) should be avoided during pregnancy, even though the risk to baby is low.
3 considerations before lasik surgery
#1 Best to discuss your eye condition with your ophthalmologist
#2 Avoid contact lens which is uncomfortable and risky
#3 Make a new pair of glasses with updated prescription