Frequently asked questions

• Do not wear contact lenses for at least 48 hours prior to surgery, to avoid irritating the ocular surface on the day of surgery.
• Do not wear make-up on the day of the operation. It will be possible to reapply make-up once the contact lenses have been removed (5th or 6th day).

It takes around 10 to 15 minutes per eye, with the treatment itself lasting around 20 seconds per eye. The rest of the time is devoted to setting up the operating field, checking and aligning the eye with the laser, etc. Surgery under local anaesthetic is not painful. Some tingling may be felt, and the instrument that prevents blinking (the eyelid retractor) is sometimes a source of a little discomfort in the event of "tightness".

You should not attempt to drive after the operation; you will need to return home accompanied or by cab. It is also possible to take public transport, provided you are accompanied. Make sure you wear sunglasses when you leave the clinic. A pair of protective eye shields to be worn during the first few nights (to avoid involuntary eye rubbing).

On the same day, we recommend instilling the prescribed eye drops, starting at least one hour after surgery. Individual drops can be instilled 5 minutes apart, or at regular intervals. Eyes should not be rubbed; if irritation or discomfort is felt (this is very common in the hours following surgery), the eyes should be rinsed or moistened with saline solution or artificial tears.

When using drops, you may notice an unpleasant taste in the back of your throat. This is due to the medication passing through the nose, via the tear duct and then evacuating into the throat. To avoid this unpleasant taste, keep your eyes closed for 20 seconds after instilling the drops, and apply a gentle pinch in the corner of your eye, near your nose.

Unpleasant, even painful, eye discomfort generally occurs an hour after the procedure. This pain is well controlled thanks to the lens dressing applied at the end of the procedure. At the same time, analgesic treatment is also provided.

You will be able to return to work as soon as your vision appears satisfactory for the performance of your usual tasks (1 week). We do not issue a medical leave.

Your eyes will be more easily irritated during the first few weeks, which could make computer work and prolonged reading more difficult. Use artificial tears to improve your comfort.

If you work in a dusty environment or one with a high risk of infection, you'll need to wait 1 week before returning to work (e.g. gardening, mining, garage, construction, etc.). If necessary, the clinic can provide you with a letter justifying your absence. For the first 3 months, we recommend that you wear safety glasses whenever necessary.

You can wash your hair the day after or two days after the procedure: just close your eyes, put your head back and rinse with physiological saline after a shower or if you are spraying droplets.

You can swim or bathe 3 to 4 weeks after the operation: we strongly recommend that you wear goggles when swimming in the pool or lake afterwards.

Most sports can be resumed after 2 weeks. With the exception of swimming, fitness or running activities can be resumed one week after PKR. Sports that expose the eye to dust, dirt or trauma are not recommended for 1 to 2 months. UV-filtering lenses must be worn for downhill skiing, water skiing and activities in very sunny or reflective environments.

In the vast majority of cases, patients are able to return to work within the first week of surgery.

A drop in contrast, halos or stretching of the lights can be perceived in the evening for about 4 weeks.

During your post-operative visits, the ophthalmologist will measure your new vision and, if necessary, provide you with a document to request a review to remove the "Wearing glasses while driving" condition from your driver's license. It's best to wait until your vision has stabilized before applying for a review (about 1 month after surgery).

Astigmatism, when present, is responsible for some of the blurring in the image. It is therefore corrected at the same time as myopia during the operation. At surgeon , all you have to do is enter the numbers corresponding to the power and axis of the astigmatism into the software that controls the laser.

The post-operative result depends largely on the degree of the initial correction.

Retouching may be considered if the visual result obtained after surgery does not allow you to be independent without glasses, in the majority of your distance vision activities. Retouching is never envisaged before 3 to 6 months post-op. It is important to wait until the healing process has fully stabilized.

No, the preoperative check-up enables us to detect any contraindications to this procedure (less than 4% of candidates).

During laser vision correction, the surface of the cornea is reshaped. This is non-invasive surgery (you don't go inside the eye), so the eye's functionality will never be compromised. But as with any surgery, there is no such thing as zero risk. Complications are possible, but they are exceptional (inflammation, epithelial invasion) and of no consequence if properly managed.

Hormones produced during pregnancy or breast-feeding can cause unstable vision or dry eyes.

We recommend waiting about 3 months after pregnancy or the end of breast-feeding before proceeding with surgery. Inform your ophthalmologist if you plan to become pregnant within six months of your laser surgery.

During the preoperative assessment, if laser surgery is contraindicated, you will be offered other solutions for correcting your vision:

• A "phake" intra-ocular implant, which involves placing a small corrective lens inside the eye, without operating on the crystalline lens.
• Replacing your crystalline lens with an intraocular lens; also known as a clear lens. The procedure is identical to that for cataracts. This procedure can be considered from the age of 45-50, when the crystalline lens has lost its ability to accommodate.