Did you have to remove your contact lenses for surgery? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

CindyP · 12-14-2009, 11:44 PM

I am blind as a bat without them and hate having to take them out.

Sherry_Lynn · 12-15-2009, 12:31 AM

Yes, you have to remove everything...........dentures, contacts, any prothesis. There isn't anything you will really need to see until you are back in your room.

Coop · 12-17-2009, 10:16 PM

Taking out my contacts was a big concern of mine. I was trying to think of how I could get away without taking them out. I knew they'd make me though. I took them out at home and wore my glasses (which I hate!!! I feel like I'm in a fishbowl) to the hospital. My mom and my friend that went with me had instructions to be ready to hand me my glasses at the first sign that I might be waking up. I made them promise. They did hand them to me right away. The rest of my stay in the hospital, which was just one day, I kept my glasses close by on the tray. It was kind of nice to give my eyes a breather and have the contacts out for a few days.

odonnela · 12-18-2009, 03:38 AM

Yeahh!! You can't sleep in them, so you can't have surgery in them.
If you don't blink and get tears in your eye (like when sleeping) they
dry out and get suctioned to your eyeballs and you have to have a
doctor remove them. I know from where I speak!!

soon2bthin · 12-18-2009, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odonnela

Yeahh!! You can't sleep in them, so you can't have surgery in them.
If you don't blink and get tears in your eye (like when sleeping) they
dry out and get suctioned to your eyeballs and you have to have a
doctor remove them. I know from where I speak!!

I have disposable lenses so I can sleep in mine for up to a week at a time without removal. But yeah I was required to remove mine prior to surgery.

Everyone of the hospital staff thought I was really mellow in the OR prior to my surgery. But actually I was blind as a bat and couldnt even see them.

poet_kelly · 12-18-2009, 08:20 AM

Yeah, they'll make you take them out. They made me take off my glasses, too. And I cannot see a thing without them and it kind of stresses me out. I wore them right to the door of the OR, then took them off and gave them to the nurse. As soon as I started to wake up in recovery, I asked for them. They understand it bothers people when they can't see and they'll make sure you get them back quickly, but you might want to take glasses with you if you have them because I imagine it is much easier to put your glasses on when you're all groggy from anesthesia than to put in contacts.

Kelly

bridgett28 · 12-18-2009, 10:42 AM

I have the kind of contacts where i can wear them for a week at a time take them out for a night and clean them and put them back in an wear for another week without taking them out all the time. I had to take them out before surgery. But once I got to put them back in I felt more normal after that. It was interesting to see everyone as a blurr for a few hours.

CindyP · 12-18-2009, 05:49 PM

I have disposable lenses that I can wear up to a week without taking out. I am seriously thinking about not telling them I"m wearing any. How would they know? I think I'll ask Dr. Callery about it.

kantonucci · 12-18-2009, 06:04 PM

They will still be able to see even clear lenses. I wouldn't take the chance and keep them in.

You'll have to also remove any hair ties and nail polish.

cinwa · 12-18-2009, 06:13 PM

I was told that during surgery, it may be necessary to check the pupils for dilation and if you're wearing contact lenses, they could affect the measurements.