Though LASIK is a safe and effective procedure, with the latest technological equipment at its disposal, it is simply not suitable for everyone. There are several factors that might preclude the possibility of LASIK surgery for a particular patient. One such crucial aspect is pregnancy.
A woman is not suitable for undergoing LASIK surgery if she is pregnant or nursing. In addition, a woman who has conceived of late or is expected to be pregnant within the following six months is advised to postpone surgery. Typically, a nursing mother should defer for at least two months in the wake of the nursing period.
Pregnancy entails significant hormonal changes, which typically cause dramatic fluctuations in a woman’s refractive state. As a result, a preoperative examination conducted during pregnancy might not reveal a truly accurate refractive error. Therefore, the measurements are all askew and so is the determined amount of surgical correction to rectify the refractive error. Consequently, the patient is operated upon based on a false reading and the induced correction is inappropriate. Moreover, if the refractive fluctuation occurs during recovery from eye surgery, it would be impossible to decipher whether the change in vision is due to pregnancy or LASIK surgery.
Another prominent reason to decide against eye surgery during pregnancy is that the surgery is believed to worsen the dry eye condition in pregnant women. LASIK also has potential complications, which might add to the discomfort faced during pregnancy. Furthermore, the medication administered to counter complications may be hazardous for the fetus in a pregnant women’s womb or may pass to an infant through lactation in the case of a nursing mother.
You must adhere to the advice of your eye surgeon as to when you may undergo surgery, bearing in mind your pregnancy issue.