You might be thinking about laser eye surgery, but are unsure whether pregnancy or breastfeeding makes it safe, sensible or even possible. It is a common question at Mr Alex Day at Moorfields Private, West London and Moorfields Private City. The answer is more straightforward than most people expect.
In brief, the results may be less accurate during pregnancy or breastfeeding so it is best to wait at least 3 months after you have finished breastfeeding.
Prescription stability
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, some women notice changes in their vision. This is caused by hormonal changes, causing subtle prescription changes. As a stable prescription is needed for the best outcome from laser eye surgery, you are advised to wait.
If you are hoping to be pregnant shortly, then booking an appointment now is an excellent idea, as accurate measurement of your prescription and corneal scans can then be used for reference when you come back for review after pregnancy.
Dry eyes
Hormone changes can change the composition of the tear film, making pregnant or breastfeeding women more likely to get dry eye symptoms. For those who wear contact lenses, this can mean you have to reduce contact lens wear time due to discomfort.
As laser eye surgery can cause temporary dry eyes for the first few months after surgery, again, it is advisable to wait for your eye’s tear film to return to normal before having laser eye surgery.
Laser eye surgery and eye drops
There is actually no proven risk associated with laser eye surgery during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and some patients have had laser eye surgery with perfect outcomes without realising they were pregnant at the time!
However, after laser eye surgery, all patients use a combination of anti-inflammatory (steroid) and antibiotic eye drops for a few weeks. With these, there is a theoretical risk that some of the medications in the eye drops are absorbed into the mother’s bloodstream and cross the placenta or are passed on to the baby in breast milk. Whilst the actual amounts of these are extremely tiny, all patients are advised to wait until they have had the baby and have finished breastfeeding.
When you are ready, call 020 7100 5468 or book using the link below.
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