What to Expect on The Day of Surgery

The day has finally arrived – your surgery is soon, and you are not quite sure what to expect. You will be at the Wellington Eye Centre for approximately two hours, but only 15 minutes of this is in theatre. So what are you doing with the majority of your time here?

This article outlines what to expect on your day of surgery. Feeling nervous is completely normal, so our staff will be here to support you throughout the whole process.

Prior to surgery

We make sure that you are notified of your surgery a few weeks in advance. Our receptionist will send you an email reminding you to:

• Read and bring your consent form in with you (unsigned)
• Make sure contact lenses are not worn five days prior to surgery
• Take an Omega-3 supplement in the weeks before and use artificial tears 4 x a day
• Keep your face completely clean (no makeup, lotions, perfume/aftershave, body spray or hairspray)
• Have something to eat and take two paracetamol or ibuprofen an hour before arriving
• Bring sunglasses
• Arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery (we will let you know the approximate finish time)

You will also receive a call from us the day before your surgery, to go over these reminders with you, and to see how you are feeling. If you have any questions or concerns, this call is a great opportunity to bring them up with our friendly team.

If you are not from Wellington, you will be called a week or two before your surgery date. This is to make sure you have booked your week one appointment with your local optometrist and to confirm accommodation arrangements.

You are also welcome to call us any time on 0800 733 327 or email us at info@wefixeyes.co.nz if you would like someone to talk to about your upcoming surgery.

Arriving at the Wellington Eye Centre

Our address is Level 4/148 Cuba Street. The entrance for our building is on Garret Street, which is a side street that is in between Kaffe Eis and the Army Surplus store.

You will see a sign that says 148-150 Cuba Street – and as you walk in, you will see some lifts. The Wellington Eye Centre is on Level 4.

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our friendly receptionist, Maddi.

Maddi will make sure that you are prepared for the day. She will ask for your consent form, and then get you to initial the corner of every page. She will also ask if you want a copy of your consent form after you have signed it with Dr. Logan. This will be in our files, so you are able to ask for a copy at any time.

Maddi will again check if you:

• Have taken some paracetamol with food
• Have a clean face
• Have brought along some sunglasses
• Have someone to help you home. If you are a patient who is staying at Naumi Suites or the Sojourn Hotel by yourself, you can safely walk back to your accommodation alone (as they are very close by). We are also more than happy to accompany you if this would make you more comfortable.

Maddi will give you a brief outline on what the day looks like. You will first have a pre-op talk with one of our Ophthalmic Technicians, which will take 30-45 minutes. You will then speak to Dr. Logan, where you will go over the consent form and sign it together. Afterwards, our nurse Josie will prepare you for surgery in the pre-op room. She will take you into theatre, and surgery will last 15-20 minutes.

Pre-op Talk

The pre-op talk will be the longest part of your stay with us, and will be with one of our friendly Ophthalmic Technicians (either Megan or Emily). You are welcome to bring a support person with you!

They may want to do some repeat scans – to confirm nothing has changed if your previous scans are from a long time ago.

They will then bring you into their office for a pre-op talk. After going through a few medical history questions, they will discuss recovery, what to expect after surgery, as well as the surgery itself. During this talk, you are encouraged to ask questions. If they don’t know the answer to a question, they will make sure Dr. Logan goes over it with you, as you will see him next.

You will be given a post-op bag, which is slightly different depending on the procedure you’re having. This will include a variety of eye drops, including medicated drops and lubricating drops.

Our Ophthalmic Technicians will explain exactly how and when to use these eye drops. They will tell you what to expect in terms of visual recovery, and what to avoid as you heal. Post-op instructions will be printed out for you, so don’t feel pressured to memorize everything they say!

Lastly, they will let you know what to expect during surgery so that there are no surprises.

When you are feeling ready, they will pop you outside Dr. Logan’s office.

Meeting with Dr Logan

Dr. Logan will repeat your refraction to make sure your prescription has remained the same for surgery. He will then go over the consent form with you. If you have any questions or concerns, he is more than happy to talk to you about them.

Once you have signed the consent form together, Dr Logan will pop you out into the waiting room again, for our nurse Josie to come and collect you.

Pre-Surgery Preparations

Our nurse Josie will then take you to the pre-op room, which will have a couple of lazy boy chairs for you to sit down in.

She will double check if you have any allergies, and if you have ever had iodine on your skin. You will be offered a barley sugar – it is recommended that you take this, as it has a calming effect.  In order to enter theatre, you will be given a hair net and some shoe covers to put on. Josie will then pop in some anaesthetic eye drops – these eye drops will sting a little at first, but that will soon go away as they take effect.

Josie is a wonderful nurse who has a knack for putting people at ease. She will not rush you, and you will only enter theatre once you feel ready. She will be with you for the whole surgery, offering words of encouragement and lending you a hand to hold if needed.

Surgery

If you have forgotten everything from the pre-op talk already – don’t panic! Dr Logan will still walk you through the whole procedure step by step. Even though you are in the theatre for 15 minutes, the actual surgery itself lasts seconds to minutes. Most of the time you are in there, Dr Logan is cleaning around your eyes, changing gloves, and getting things set up.

You can read more about the different procedures in some of our other blogs:

Laser Eye Surgery: The Benefits Of SMILE®

Everything You Should Know About LASIK Eye Surgery

The Truth Behind Common Laser Eye Surgery Myths

Dr Logan has been performing Laser Vision Correction for almost 30 years, so you are in very capable hands.

Here’s what some previous patients have had to say about the surgery:

• “The staff at Wellington Eye Centre are fabulous. The communication was top notch all the way and provided reassurance to what was a stressful time for me leading up to the surgery. Hindsight is 20/20, as there was nothing to worry about. I went from – 7.50 and – 7 in each eye to blended vision at the ripe age of 48. I should have done this years ago as I can see clearly now, no more glasses or contact lens!!!”

• “I had an amazing experience with Dr Logan and his exceptional team. From the extensive pre checks to the ridiculously fast surgery, to the post op check through to 6 months later. Every interaction has been great. It has been life changing and I totally recommend this team to look after your sight.”

• “I recently had laser eye surgery at Wellington Eye Centre and I have nothing but positive things to say about the experience. The procedure itself was completely painless, which was a huge relief for me. I felt well taken care of by the team throughout the entire process, from the pre-surgery consultations to the post-op checkups.
  
  What really stood out to me was the exceptional level of aftercare that was provided by the team. They made sure that I had all the information and resources I needed to ensure a successful recovery. I couldn’t be happier with the results of the surgery and I consider it to be the best investment I’ve ever made.”

• “I had SMILE surgery here in April. The care and empathy that each staff member treated me with was incredible. I felt so informed and safe in their hands. Best experience ever, I recommend this place to everyone”

If you are interested in having laser eye surgery then give us a call on 0800 733 327. Or fill out the book a free assessment and someone from our team will get back to you with more information. We’d love to hear from you!