Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and LASIK Surgery: What You Should Know
So many people have become interested in undergoing LASIK surgery. One of the best options out there for improving your overall eyesight, LASIK corrects refractive errors and allows patients to see clearly without the assistance of corrective lenses (i.e., glasses and contacts). This provides a real sense of freedom and well-being, something that we're happy to provide at our vision center.
With this in mind, there are some restrictions on who can undergo LASIK surgery. When a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding, she should not get LASIK. Let's see why.
About LASIK Surgery
It's a good idea to go over some basics regarding LASIK first. LASIK is a refractive surgery that is performed to address myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. This is done using a laser to reshape the contour of the corneas, the thin, clear, frontal portion of the eyes.
Pregnancy and Vision
When a woman is pregnant, her vision will likely be altered due to hormonal changes in her body. This is a natural part of pregnancy. These vision fluctuations might be minor, but they are common and can occur. A woman's vision will return to normal after pregnancy.
Why LASIK Needs to Be Delayed Because of Pregnancy
Since LASIK is a vision correction surgery, it's important that a person's vision be normal when the correction is performed. As such, it's not recommended for women who are pregnant. Since their vision is altered during to hormonal changes, the results of LASIK surgery performed during pregnancy would not be particularly good, increasing the risk of overcorrection or undercorrection.
In addition, medicated eyedrops are administered during the procedure and in many cases issued as part of early post-operative care. If a woman is carrying a child to term, we'd rather not risk possible complications to the child's development as a result of any medications needed during LASIK. Better safe than sorry.
Why LASIK Needs to Be Delayed Because of Breastfeeding
Similar concerns are present when it comes to the issue of breastfeeding and LASIK. Medications issued during the surgery and part of post-operative care will wind up in the mother's breast milk. We don't feel that it's worthwhile to risk the early development of a nursing baby.
In addition, a woman's vision will still be returning to normal during this stage. It's important to continue waiting until after nursing is completed so that the vision can be properly corrected.
When can a pregnant or breastfeeding women undergo LASIK?
In general, women will be able to undergo LASIK roughly two menstrual cycles after bringing their child to term or completing breastfeeding. This can vary from patient to patient, so it's ideal to consult with a LASIK surgeon to find out the best recommendations for your needs.
Options for Vision Correction for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Patients
During pregnancy and nursing, the best options for improving vision are contacts and glasses. This is simply to play things safe and ensure that your child is healthy and that your eyesight will be properly addressed later on.
Learn More About LASIK Eye Surgery
For more information about LASIK surgery and your many other options out there for advanced laser eye surgery, be sure to contact our Indiana laser vision correction centers today. Our entire team is eager to meet you in person to discuss these matters in greater detail.