Can i donate blood if i have had lasik surgery in the past couple of months?Stuart
You should be just as able to donate blood after Lasik as you were before Lasik, however there will be some considerations.There is virtually no possibility of any type of blood borne pathogen contamination during Lasik in an otherwise healthy eye. All the cutting and sculpting during Lasik occurs exclusively in the cornea (clear front of the eye). A healthy cornea gets its oxygen from the atmosphere, not from blood vessels.However, if you were a contact lens abuser you may have developed blood vessels in the cornea. This is called corneal neovascularization and occurs because the contact lens blocks oxygen to the cornea and the oxygen in blood is the alternative source. Sometimes Lasik will sever neovascularization blood vessels in the cornea, however even then the probability of contamination through Lasik is very low. Your Lasik surgeon will be able to tell you if you had any blood loss during surgery.You will have used - and may still be using - topical antibiotic and corticosteroid eye drops. You may also be using Restasis to control dry eye issues. Restasis is diluted cyclosporine, an anti-inflammatory. The tearing system connects to the sinus system that connects to the respiratory system and all of this absorbs the medication. The half-life of the medications commonly used after Lasik is rather short so they will be expelled from your system quickly, but you should notify the phlebotomist of any medications you have recently used.And kudos to you for giving blood!
Ena
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