Pregnancy comes with its own set of precautions. When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you have the responsibility of your baby as well. So, anything you do directly affects them. LASIK, that is, laser eye surgery, which usually done to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism is another subject of concern when you are pregnant or in the feeding period. So, let’s discuss the various aspects regarding LASIK eye surgery during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I know you must be curious to know more about LASIK, and the consequences and precautions of undergoing LASIK during this stage and many more things. So, here we go. Let us find out the effects of LASIK while breastfeeding and pregnancy.

LASIK

Laser in-situ keratomileusis or LASIK is an eye surgery and it’s very obvious that it includes reshaping of the cornea so as to refocus the light travelling through the cornea so that it falls on the retina properly. It has been a very trustworthy attempt since years to correct vision. Moreover, it involves less pain, quick results and gives you freedom from glasses. So, LASIK is an extremely safe and trustworthy operation. But certain complications may arise if you are thinking to undergo this surgery during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Let’s dive into this topic more.

Is LASIK Safe While Pregnancy and Breastfeeding?

Pregnancy is not really the correct time to undergo LASIK. It is not at all harmful for the human body, but the hormones that are released during pregnancy may not go along well with your prescriptions. Here are some ways in which LASIK can have an adverse effect or actually have a temporary effect.

Change in vision prescription

During pregnancy, women experience a swing in the eyesight. Some of them experience near-sightedness while a few have farsightedness. So, in case you are thinking of going through an eye correction operation, you may have to regret after pregnancy or breastfeeding period because the correction may not work after that. Breastfeeding mothers are also in an altered hormonal situation which can affect the eye correction during breastfeeding.

The changes in the hormone can cause swelling of the eye lens, which has a direct effect on the person’s degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. These hormonal changes occur with the onset of pregnancy and they cease only after three to four months of pregnancy. So, if you want to achieve precise results it’s better to opt for LASIK only after six months of stopping breastfeeding.

Read More: Blurry Vision During Pregnancy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Use of medicines

When you undergo LASIK surgery, you need to take some medicines which can lead to adverse effects during pregnancy.

Sedatives: Valium, which is a mild sedative given to the patient before surgery to relieve anxiety and to make them fall off to sleep as soon as the surgery ends. Well, this sedative is indeed necessary for the success of the operation, but in case you are pregnant, taking this sedative can harm the baby.

Eye drops: Dilating and numbing eye drops are used before the surgery so that the surgery is smooth. Even after the LASIK surgery, you need to apply antibiotic eye drops so as to avoid any kind of infection in the eye. The steroidal eye drop which is prescribed is given in order to reduce inflammation in the eyes.

The effect of these medications on pregnant women is not much prominent, but once they enter the bloodstream, it is said that these medications can cause to the fetus, especially when it is in the first trimester when the vital organs are being formed. So, you see what seems safe for a normal human being can become really dangerous for a baby.

Painkillers: There are certain painkillers such as ibuprofen which is over-the-counter and thus they are not really good for them or rather say really unsafe for pregnant women. So, make sure you do not take this painkiller in case of any pain relieving attempt.

Read More: Conjunctivitis During Pregnancy: 15 Natural Remedies You Must Know About

Dry Eyes

The hormonal changes in the body of a pregnant, as well as nursing women, cause dryness in the eyes. The dryness in the eyes leads to discomfort in wearing lens.

In order to heal the surgery, the patient needs to have normal tear production in the eyes. But the dryness in the eyes during pregnancy makes you unfit for undergoing any kind of eye surgery.

Radiation exposure

During LASIK the patient is exposed to some amount of radiations. This low level of radiation exposure happens when the laser is doing the corneal incision and reshaping of the cornea. The period of exposure is not long but it may not have a good effect on the baby’s health and growth. Babies are in the period of growth so any amount of exposure to radiations can cause an alteration in the organs.

Conditions Applied

However, LASIK can be considered during pregnancy but only if the following conditions are met.

• LASIK can be considered if there have been no changes in the eyeglass prescription of the mother in the past years. In this case, we have the idea whether the changes in eyesight is due to pregnancy and the normal drift.
• All the findings of the comprehensive eye exam and the preoperative refractive surgery measurements are normal.
• If you are ready to undergo the surgical operation without any prior sedative then it can be considered.
• You need to know that not all the best antibiotics can be given during pregnancy, so you may have to take some limited antibiotics for the betterment of your child.
• You must have a thorough consultation with your surgeon, so as to understand if undergoing a surgery at that time is extremely necessary or you can wait for a few months. Moreover, you must undergo this surgery during nursing or pregnancy only if you feel It’s safe and really important.

Read More: 11 Home Remedies to Cure Defective Vision Problems in Children

Conclusion

So, this was all about LASIK and the concerns regarding undergoing LASIK during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I hope the information will help you understand the risks related to it. Moreover, it is always advisable to consult with your surgeon, ophthalmologist as well as your gynecologist.

Take Care! Happy parenting!