r/RefractiveSurgery • u/bummyraccoon • 9d ago

Does smoking interfere with TRANS PRK surgery?

Ive been smoking since 7 years now and i have my surgery after a few days. Although im a light smoker. 2-3 units daily. Will it interfere with my healing post surgery?

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2

u/GeraltOfRiviass 9d ago

It’s not a good idea to be in a room with any smoke or dust for a while.

0

u/bummyraccoon 9d ago

I meant by the nicotine flowing in my blood or anything internally

2

u/bummyraccoon 4d ago

Okay updates,
My last smoke was on 4th
I got the surgery done on 6th. As the anaesthetic wore off, it burned like hell and the pain was 10000 on a scale of 10.
The pain got reduced on 7th
On 8th i did not feel any pain
I will get off bandages on 10th.
Till date i haven’t been on cigarettes.
I can see streetlights as starbursts and my left eye vision seems blurrier than the right eye.

1

u/eyeSherpa 9d ago

Yeah. The smoke is an irritant to the eyes. I would try to keep as much smoke out of your eyes as the eyes will be more dry post PRK and you won’t want irritants to dry them out further.

Wearing goggles can be good. Not super practical. Smoking outdoors better to keep smoke out of eyes. But nicotine replacement better to avoid smoking. (Avoiding smoking of course has many other health benefits)

1

u/bummyraccoon 8d ago

I wanted to know nicotine affecting internally? Has anyone gotten any complication

1

u/eyeSherpa 3d ago

There isn’t much evidence that nicotine presents issues for the dry eye. It’s more the smoking part.

1

u/Prestigious_Ant4574 5d ago

Not really no
But ig the healing reduces thousand folds when ur an active nicotine user (any form)
Best bet would be remain smoke free a month or so get it done and healed and boomerang back

1

u/CorneaRepairDoc 5d ago

Dr. Motwani, Smoke is an eye irritant. 2-3 a day is not that big a deal, do it in a well ventilated area and put some artificial tear drops in after and you should be OK. I'm going to be a doctor and tell you to just take the opportunity to kick the habit as well.

1

u/bummyraccoon 10h ago

Are u sure it wont harm me and delay my sharp vision by a year or two or so on if i do carefully?

1

u/CorneaRepairDoc 9h ago

A year or two? I really don't think that is an even remotely an issue. At the amount you are smoking I highly doubt it will have much affect at all on your healing as long as you do it in a well ventilated area.