Wear Soft Contacts Before Lasik?

I've Worn RGP Contacts for over 10 Years. I've been told that I would have to wear glasses for 6 weeks or more before I could have LASIK to make sure my eyes return to their original shape. I understand why but I hate wearing my glasses. Can I switch to soft contacts for a few months and then just go the usual week to 10 days before my LASIK?

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by KinKC in Missouri

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Hard contact lenses vs. soft contact lenses

Gas permeable and hard contact lenses can cause corneal warpage. Generally, one must be out of hard contacts at least 4 weeks but it can be much longer. Measurements must be stable. We often will switch to soft contact lenses because they cause less warpage. Unfortunately, vision is often sharper with RGP or hard lenses, especially if any astigmatism is present.

Soft and Hard Contacts Before LASIK

If you have a history of gas permeable or hard contact lens wear, my thinking on leaving them out before Laser Vision Correction(LVC) is the following: gas permeable contacts should be removed one month per decade of wear before LVC. For example, a patient who has worn GP lenses for 30 years would need to leave them out three months before Laser Vision Correction. If that same patient(this sounds like you) wants to switch to soft contacts for 3 months, rather than glasses, that is fine... more