Refractive laser eye surgery, LASIK corrects the refractive error of the eye and there are cases, where eye glasses or contact lenses may be needed after the surgery, based on certain conditions.
Need For Contacts After LASIK
- Usually, after Lasik or other refractive error correction surgery, if the results are unacceptable, hybrid contact lens or custom gas permeable are preferred to improve the eye vision. These options are preferred, when the enhancement procedures or follow-up surgical procedures are not possible.
- Another possibility can be a LASIK patient has had vision corrected fully, but one experience presbyopia, in one’s older age. Such patients may need contact lens on one eye for mono-vision and prefer lenses rather than depending over glasses for reading.
- One more opted LASIK patients are the ones, who are interested to wear color contact lenses towards their eye color enhancement or have perfect vision, either on specific occasions or on regular or daily basis.
- Another important cause to go for lenses can be presbyopia, which attacks you in your older age.
In all these cases LASIK patients can wear contact lenses safely. If you would like to wear the contact lenses for both the eyes, after LASIK, in most of the cases, hybrid contact lenses or gas permeable contact lenses can provide sharper vision, rather than going for the soft contact lenses.
Challenges in Wearing Lens After LASIK
The basic challenge in wearing contact lenses after LASIK is in fitting the lenses. It is because the front eye curvature surface is altered slightly, after LASIK. Hence, it is important to contact an eye doctor with specialization in contact lenses fitting for the cases of hard to fit eyes.
According to the LASIK surgeons, you need to wait for at least two to three months post the surgery, before going for contacts. It is always good to communicate the wish of wearing contact lens, if you have the desire, with the eye surgeon for some specific guidelines and recommendations, according to prescription.
Better Options
In case your LASIK outcomes have not reached to the expected or satisfactory levels, unlike in majority cases, and if the vision is blurry slightly, because of possible mild retained retfractive error, the best solution can be wearing eyeglasses and for only part time, rather than going for the contact lenses.
If you prefer contact lenses, then get going with the lenses having anti-reflective coating, for distracted reflections elimination to prevent any night vision problems and glare. You can also go for photochromic lenses, which can darken the lenses, when you are under sunlight, automatically. In cases of presbyopia attacked usually after 40s, eyeglasses with progressive lens can be the better option, even you need to wear them only part time.