Why We Perform Surgeries Two Weeks Apart
How do you schedule a patient’s eye procedures when both eyes require surgery? Some doctors perform surgeries on both eyes, a day or two apart. At Glenwood Family Eye Center, we choose the more-conservative approach of scheduling eye surgeries two weeks apart.
On the rare occasion that complications may arise, it could affect the patient’s vision for two or three days. If the other eye was not operated on, they would still be able to see out of the eye that did not undergo surgery.
Post-surgical complications are rare, but a patient could have pre-existing conditions, such as macular degeneration or diabetes. This could make them more susceptible to swelling or to developing a secondary inflammation in their eye.
“If two weeks are allowed between surgeries, there is more time to fully heal the eye,” said Dr. John Dvorak, ophthalmologist at Glenwood Family Eye Center. “Two weeks provide time for inflammation to subside and to make sure there are no post-surgical complications.”
Depending on the type of surgery, there may also be bleeds inside the eye, inflammation, or decreased vision. If both eyes are operated on at the same time, it can compromise the patient’s lifestyle until the healing is fully complete.
“If the surgical eye takes longer to return to full vision,” said Dr. Joseph Schneiderhan, optometrist at Glenwood Family Eye Center, “most people would still have enough vision remaining in the other eye so they can perform basic tasks and care for themselves.”
If a patient is unable to wait two weeks, due to travel or other scheduling needs, eye surgeries can be performed closer together. However, with our years of experience in performing eye surgeries, we advise our patients that two weeks are the better choice.
Contact our team for more information about your eye surgery concerns.