Patients planning cataract surgery, refractive lens exchange, LASIK or SMILE Pro often ask how many days beforehand they should stop wearing contact lenses. At our clinic, we generally advise patients who wear soft contact lenses to stop wearing them 1\u20132 days before their examination and surgery.<\/strong> Whether a longer break is needed depends on the condition of the eyes and the assessment of the measurements.<\/p>\n In some people, contact lenses can temporarily affect the shape of the cornea\u2014the clear front surface of the eye\u2014and the tear film. This may influence the measurements used to plan laser treatment or calculate the power of an intraocular lens.<\/p>\n However, these effects vary from person to person. The type of contact lens, wearing habits and condition of the cornea all matter. We therefore assess both the examination findings and the reliability of the measurements, rather than relying solely on how many days the lenses have been left out.<\/p>\n No. A break lasting several weeks is not necessary for every patient who wears soft contact lenses. Based on our many years of clinical experience, we generally recommend a break of 1\u20132 days for soft contact lenses.<\/p>\n Yes, this may be possible in suitable patients.<\/strong> First, we examine your eyes and assess the corneal surface and your measurements. If there are no findings suggesting that contact lens wear is affecting the measurements, and your surgeon considers it appropriate, surgery may proceed on the same day. When necessary, the measurements are repeated after a further break from contact lens wear.<\/p>\n Before cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange, biometry and corneal measurements are performed to calculate the power of the intraocular lens to be implanted. Wearing soft contact lenses does not, in itself, prevent you from having surgery. The measurements must be considered reliable.<\/p>\n Before laser eye surgery, we carefully assess your prescription, corneal thickness and corneal shape. If there are signs that contact lens wear may be affecting these measurements, further assessment is performed.<\/p>\n No. The 1\u20132-day recommendation in this article applies to soft contact lenses<\/strong>. Hard lenses, rigid gas-permeable lenses and overnight orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses may affect the cornea differently. A longer break and repeated measurements may be necessary.<\/p>\n If possible, remove your soft contact lenses 1\u20132 days before your appointment<\/strong> and wear glasses during this period. If you remove your lenses on the day of your appointment, please inform our team. Same-day surgery may be possible if you are considered suitable following the examination and assessment of your measurements.<\/p>\n Suitability for surgery depends not only on how long you have been without contact lenses, but also on the condition of your eyes and the reliability of the measurements used to plan your procedure.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Should You Remove Contact Lenses Before Eye Surgery? Patients planning cataract surgery, refractive lens exchange, LASIK or SMILE Pro often ask how many days beforehand they should stop wearing contact lenses. At our clinic, we generally advise patients who wear soft contact lenses to stop wearing them 1\u20132 days before their examination and surgery. Whether a longer break is needed depends on the condition of the eyes and the assessment of the measurements. Why Is a Break from Contact Lens Wear Recommended? In some people, contact lenses can temporarily affect the shape of the cornea\u2014the clear front surface of the eye\u2014and the tear film. This may influence the measurements used to plan laser treatment or calculate the power of an intraocular lens. However, these effects vary from person to person. The type of contact lens, wearing habits and condition of the cornea all matter. We therefore assess both the examination findings and the reliability of the measurements, rather than relying solely on how many days the lenses have been left out. Does Every Patient Need to Stop Wearing Contact Lenses for Weeks? No. A break lasting several weeks is not necessary for every patient who wears soft contact lenses. Based on our many years of clinical experience, we generally recommend a break of 1\u20132 days for soft contact lenses. Can I Have Surgery If I Remove My Contact Lenses on the Same Day? Yes, this may be possible in suitable patients. First, we examine your eyes and assess the corneal surface and your measurements. If there are no findings suggesting that contact lens wear is affecting the measurements, and your surgeon considers it appropriate, surgery may proceed on the same day. When necessary, the measurements are repeated after a further break from contact lens wear. Is the Situation Different for Cataract Surgery and Refractive Lens Exchange? Before cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange, biometry and corneal measurements are performed to calculate the power of the intraocular lens to be implanted. Wearing soft contact lenses does not, in itself, prevent you from having surgery. The measurements must be considered reliable. How Are Patients Assessed Before LASIK and SMILE Pro? Before laser eye surgery, we carefully assess your prescription, corneal thickness and corneal shape. If there are signs that contact lens wear may be affecting these measurements, further assessment is performed. Does the Same Advice Apply to Hard Contact Lenses? No. The 1\u20132-day recommendation in this article applies to soft contact lenses. Hard lenses, rigid gas-permeable lenses and overnight orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses may affect the cornea differently. A longer break and repeated measurements may be necessary. What Should You Do Before Your Appointment? If possible, remove your soft contact lenses 1\u20132 days before your appointment and wear glasses during this period. If you remove your lenses on the day of your appointment, please inform our team. Same-day surgery may be possible if you are considered suitable following the examination and assessment of your measurements. Suitability for surgery depends not only on how long you have been without contact lenses, but also on the condition of your eyes and the reliability of the measurements used to plan your procedure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24149,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1094],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27620"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27621,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27620\/revisions\/27621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaskaloglu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why Is a Break from Contact Lens Wear Recommended?<\/h2>\n
Does Every Patient Need to Stop Wearing Contact Lenses for Weeks?<\/h2>\n
Can I Have Surgery If I Remove My Contact Lenses on the Same Day?<\/h2>\n
Is the Situation Different for Cataract Surgery and Refractive Lens Exchange?<\/h2>\n
How Are Patients Assessed Before LASIK and SMILE Pro?<\/h2>\n
Does the Same Advice Apply to Hard Contact Lenses?<\/h2>\n
What Should You Do Before Your Appointment?<\/h2>\n