About Elliot B. Werner, <B>M.D.</B> Expertise I am an ophthalmologist trained at the University of Pennsylvania. I can answer general questions in all areas of ophthalmology relating to diseases of the eye. My special areas of expertise are glaucoma and cataracts, especially the surgical aspects.
I'm a candidate for lasik however I own a small dog and have allergies towards dogs. If I physically handle her too much and have too much close physical contact and get her saliva/fur on me then I get EXTREMELY itchy eyes that itch like CRAZY. Sometimes during an itch attack you can actually see that the conjunctiva on my eye is literally swollen! I got some Visine eye drops from the drug store (non-prescription) and when I put a couple drops in my eyes then my eyes stop itching and I'm fine.
I'm very worried about what to do because I want to get lasik a.s.a.p... but will it be dangerous for me to have lasik with itchy allergy eyes?
I'm only allergic to my dog... nothing else... ONLY my dog. So if I remove my dog from my home even for a couple of days then my allergies (itchy eyes) completely goes away. There is noway in heck that I will have my eyes done with lasik when my eyes are itching like this so I know that I must remove my dog from my home completely for a while before getting lasik and after getting lasik. So if I remove my dog at least 3 days before I have my lasik exam and lasik surgery... and then keep my dog removed from my house for an entire week after getting lasik... do you think this sounds like a safe solution to my problem?
Is it more inportant for me not to have itchy eyes BEFORE getting the lasik or AFTER getting the lasik? I would really like to find the answer to this question. My guess is that it's very important to not have itchy eyes BEFORE getting lasik, right? And then immediately after I've had lasik if I can keep my eyes itch free for at least a WEEK and then I can bring my dog back home? I mean, after I've had lasik how soon can I start using anti-itch drops... a week later?
If you could please offer me advice on this question because I'm very concerned about this issue. I only have one set of eyes and I don't want to take any chances with my eyes just because of my dog..
Thanks for your time,
Juliet
Answer I don't do lasik so I'm not an expert. These are questions you need to discuss with your lasik surgeon before your procedure. In general, however, you should be completely free of any allergic symptoms of inflammation for several weeks before the lasik and should stay away from the source of your allergies until your lasik is completely healed which may take a number of weeks or even months.
Elliot Werner, M.D.
