Laser eye surgery, commonly known as LASIK, is one of the best ways of reshaping a deformed cornea to improve vision. Although it has a relatively high rate of success (about 95%), you still need to do your part to ensure that this is the case. For example, there are precautions that increase your rate of success. Here are three examples of these precautions:

Keep Off Contact Lenses

Your surgeon should operate on your cornea in its natural state. This is the only way he or she can know how much tissue to remove to correct your vision. Unfortunately, this will not be the case if you are wearing contact lenses. The lenses change the shape of your cornea, and it takes some time before this part of your eye regains its normal shape. Your doctor will tell you how far in advance to stop wearing the contacts, and you should follow the instructions to the letter.

Be Candid about Your Medical History

Your doctor will conduct a medical evaluation, specifically focusing on your eyes, before scheduling your surgery. It's essential to tell him or her everything about both your past and present health conditions, as well as any medications you are taking. Don't stop taking your regular medication without your doctor's authorization, but don't not hide anything either. This should be the case even if you think it may disqualify you for the surgery.

For example, some medications cause vision problems as their side effect. If you are taking such drugs, and you don't furnish your doctor with the information, then he or she might think that your eyes are worse than they really are.

Avoid Facial Skin Treatments

Lastly, you should avoid using facial treatments at least a day before the operation. It is imperative to minimize the risk of contamination or infection after your surgery. If you have lotions, creams or makeup, then the risk of contamination increases. The debris may get into your eyes and cause an infection. Of course, you may be asked to scrub your eyelashes (just before the surgery) to reduce this risk, but isn't it better to avoid this problem in the first place?

Just like other surgical interventions, you will not be able to pick up your daily routine immediately after the surgery. Therefore, it's important to have somebody help you. For example, you will need someone to drive you home after the surgery. Follow all your doctor's post-operative instructions if you don't want to jeopardize the success of your LASIK procedure. Contact a professional like Jo Johnson, M.D. for more information.